Wine Tourism as a Catalyst for Sustainable Performance: The Mediating Role of Corporate Legitimacy and Green Innovation

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the influence of Wine Tourism (WT) on the Sustainable Performance (SP) of wineries in Spain. It particularly investigates how Corporate Social Legitimacy (CSL) and Green Innovation (GI) may act as intermediary factors in this relationship. Additionally, the research considers the age of the winery, its size, and whether it is part of a protected designation of origin as control variables to enhance the accuracy of the identified cause‐and‐effect relationships. This research introduces a theoretical framework, grounded in prior literature, and examines it through structural equation modeling. The analysis is based on data gathered from 196 wineries in Spain, collected over the period from September 2022 to January 2023. The results of this study highlight a notable and positive correlation between the advancement of WT and the SP of wineries in Spain. Additionally, the study uncovers that CSL and GI play a partially mediating role in this connection. The uniqueness and significance of this study can be attributed to several crucial factors. First, it enhances the understanding and knowledge regarding the advantages associated with WT development. Second, no prior research has conducted a comprehensive study on the WT development as a catalyst for economic, social, and environmental outcomes within the context of Spanish wineries. Third, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous study has simultaneously analyzed the mediating role of CSL and GI as mediators in the relationship between WT development and the SP of wineries.