Family-friendly wine tourism? The challenge of supplying child-inclusive wine terroir experiences.

This article examines how wineries along the Bairrada and Dão Wine Routes in Central Portugal cater to families with children, focusing on winery managers' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of this market segment. Although families with children do visit these wine regions, the study finds that most wineries lack specific services, facilities, or programs designed for children, often offering only informal adaptations rather than dedicated family-friendly experiences. Managers express mixed attitudes, recognizing both the potential to attract and retain family visitors and concerns related to ethical issues, infrastructure limitations, and children's behavior in a wine context. The research highlights an underexplored opportunity for wineries to develop inclusive, child-friendly offerings that could enhance competitiveness and sustainability in rural wine tourism destinations.