Wine, pandemic, and war – changes in wine tourism and the transformation of wine tourism products through the example of the Beregvidék in Transcarpathia

Abstract

The Transcarpathian Bereg region is a unique example of how a historical wine region adapts to the challenges of global trends, pandemics, and geopolitical crises, while preserving its authentic characteristics. The research aims to explore the strategies of the winemakers of the Bereg region in dealing with the changes that have occurred. It was based on a combined methodology: in addition to the analysis of secondary sources, structured interviews were conducted with local winemakers. Our most important results show that due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian–Ukrainian conflict, the presence of domestic tourists has become almost exclusive, and foreign tourist traffic has almost completely ceased. The main source of income for wineries comes from wine tastings and mail-order services, while the role of festivals has been significantly devalued. In order to adapt to market challenges, winemakers have planted new grape varieties and expanded their services. All this indicates that they are trying to maintain their competitiveness with different survival strategies.