Combining amenity with experience: Exploring the hidden capital of a winescape experience

Abstract

Industry and government bodies have recommended augmentation of traditional production and marketing techniques as ways of increasing an industry's profitability. This article values the amenity of the wine industry, a sensory experience that provides an array of opportunities both culturally to the tourist and economically to many regions across the world. Using the wine industry in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, we use input-output analysis to assess the economic impacts of this industry and the amenity hidden within. The industry not only provides jobs and commerce supporting local prosperity but also supplies a mixed production and consumption amenity from an agricultural product that meets the tourist's leisure desire - an amenity that transcends from its origin in the vineyard to its destination at the table.