LAUSR

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the different traits, characteristics, and skills future professionals need to contemplate in order to address the demands of the competitive wine industry, more specifically, concerning the provision of wine tourism experiences. The insights within self-determination theory are considered to develop more robust understanding of this central theme. Design/methodology/approach – The views of 32 winery representatives in ownership and management roles, operating in two emerging economies were gathered through unstructured, face-to-face interviews conducted on-site. Findings – Participants’ comments revealed five key dimensions illustrated, notably, through attitudinal aspects (passion, empathy), knowledge-based (constant learning), strategy-based (problem-solver), previous work experience, and adaptation-based. This last aspect highlighted coping with the dynamic nature of the industry, while assimilating tasks or learning by doing. These findings have important implications, in particular, for the future delivery of wine tourism experiences. Originality/value – By empirically examining an important knowledge gap associated with the traits and characteristics of future wine tourism professionals, the study provides original and valuable practical insights. From a theoretical point of view, the study proposes a model originating from the findings and its associations with the revisited theoretical underpinnings.