Leveraging social capital for destination promotion in the metaverse: The Enoverse case

Abstract

This study examines the challenges of metaverse-driven community innovation in the context of rural tourism. Through an in-depth case study, we analyse the social capital dynamics within an Italian winery consortium that ventured into the metaverse through a project called Enoverse to promote local wine and rural territory. The results show that the complexity and novelty inherent in the implementation of a presence in the metaverse to provide a consistent and authentic territorial and product experience requires and fosters stakeholder cohesion and participation. This promotes tourism by enhancing stakeholder engagement, inclusion, and satisfaction. Drawing on social capital theory, the establishment of network mechanisms and actor connectivity facilitates innovative promotion of rural destinations. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on the role of virtual environments in promoting tourism, specifically in the wine industry.