TESTING THE IMPLICATIONS OF AN INTEGRATED RURAL TOURISM FRAMEWORK FOR THE NIAGARA WINE REGION MARK ROBERT HOLMES A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO AUGUST, 2014 © MARK ROBERT HOLMES, 2014 Abstract Tourism, in general, can contribute to and integrate with rural economies for rural development through industry associations and community participation (Saxena et al., 2007), as well as act as a storehouse for “natural and historical heritage” (Lane, 1994, p. 103). As realization that tourism can benefit local areas increases, so too has the discussion around tourism as a tool for rural areas. In 2007, building on the concept of Integrated Rural Development (IRD), Saxena et al. first discussed the concept of Integrated Rural Tourism (IRT). IRT was suggested as an approach to understanding the complexities of rural tourism through an examination of seven components (networking, scale, endogeneity, sustainability, embeddedness, complementarity, and empowerment), and as a means for exploring the ability of tourism to produce benefits for the rural area. In the past, IRT has been used to examine how tourism has aided rural development in Europe and the US; however, its use in Canada, and more specifically the Niagara Peninsula, has yet to be realized. Using the Niagara Peninsula Appellation (NPA), the largest wine region in Ontario and Canada, as the case study, this project involved interviewing 17 wineries and five industry associations, in an attempt to answer two specific questions: (1) how does the wine industry and wine tourism aid in the development of Niagara’s rural area using the IRT concept, and (2) how can IRT aid in rural development through direct, experiential, conservation, development, and synergistic benefits. While there is still work to be done to improve upon tourism’s positive impacts in Niagara and its peripheral rural areas more generally, this dissertation has found that wine tourism has produced direct, experiential, conservational, and synergistic benefits for the Page | ii Niagara Region. While there were also some developmental benefits, there is greater need for community engagement and improved industry synergy. Furthermore, this dissertation has found that the concept of IRT provides a reasonable framework through which to analyze the ability of wine tourism to benefit rural areas, although the addition of a focus on the marketing efforts and future goals of the area are needed. Page | iii Acknowledgements Through the past four years, many people have supported my progress on this dissertation. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Paul F. Wilkinson, for his many words of wisdom, guidance, and encouragement. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Hersch Jacobs and Dr. Rod MacRae, for their invaluable insight and support throughout my doctoral career. My sincerest thanks also go to Dr. Wendy Cukier, Dr. David Martin, Dr. Margaret Yap, and Dr. Tony Hernandez for their advice and opportunities to expand my knowledge and research proficiency. This dissertation would also not have been possible without the support of my friends and family. My wife, Lindsay Hart, has been my partner through this process, providing love and encouragement in those times when completion seemed so far off. I am also grateful for the support and many prolonged discussions with my parents Carol and Bob Holmes and brother Steven Holmes throughout my academic journey. I would also like to thank my in- laws Mike and Karen Hart for lending an ear, and my dear friend Bianca Rodrigues for providing invaluable input. The time and input of many wineries and wine industry participants has been invaluable, for they have made this dissertation possible. Page | iv Table of Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xiii List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................. xiv Chapter 1: An Introduction................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Research Objectives .............................................................................................. 1 1.2. Scope of Research ................................................................................................. 2 1.3. Study Area ............................................................................................................. 3 1.4. Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 4 1.5. Organization of Dissertation ................................................................................. 4 Chapter 2: Sustainable Rural Development through Tourism .......................................... 7 2.1. Defining Rural ....................................................................................................... 7 2.2. Sustainable Development and Sustainable Tourism ........................................... 13 2.2.1. The Sustainability Triangle ........................................................................... 17 2.2.2. Sustainable Tourism ...................................................................................... 20 2.2.1. Sustainable Tourism Development Stages .................................................... 22 Page | v 2.3. Rural Development through Sustainable Tourism .............................................. 27 2.3.1. Guiding Concepts for Sustainable Tourism .................................................. 31 2.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 36 Chapter 3: Integrated Rural Tourism ............................................................................... 37 3.1. Integrated Rural Development Conceptualization .............................................. 37 3.2. Integrated Rural Tourism Conceptualization ...................................................... 38 Chapter 4: The Ontario Wine Industry ............................................................................ 52 4.1. Wine Tourism ...................................................................................................... 52 4.2. A Brief History of Ontario’s Wine Industry Development ................................. 56 4.2.1. Governance.................................................................................................... 57 4.2.2. Shifting Production ....................................................................................... 65 4.2.3. Urbanization of Geography with Tender Fruit Soil ...................................... 68 4.2.4. Technological Advancements ....................................................................... 73 4.2.5. Wine Markets ................................................................................................ 73 4.2.6. Bottled Wine Control .................................................................................... 76 4.2.7. Retail Price Structure .................................................................................... 77 4.2.8. Employment .................................................................................................. 79 4.3. Ontario Wine Tourism ........................................................................................ 80 4.4. The Niagara Region ............................................................................................ 85 Page | vi 4.4.1. The Niagara Region Rural Tourism Organization ........................................ 87 4.4.2. The Niagara Wine Tourist ............................................................................. 89 4.4.3. The Wine Council of Ontario - Sustainability Initiative ............................... 90 4.5. Challenges Facing the Ontario Wine Industry .................................................... 91 4.6. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 94 Chapter 5: Research Method ........................................................................................... 96 5.1. Research Questions ............................................................................................. 96 5.2. Method of Data Collection .................................................................................. 97 5.2.1. Study Sample............................................................................................... 101 5.2.2. Method of Data Analysis............................................................................. 105 Chapter 6: Analysis and Results .................................................................................... 107 6.1. Networking .......................................................................................................