Critical success factors for wine tourism regions: a demand analysis

Exploratory research was undertaken to examine the level and characteristics of demand for long-distance wine tourism among wine consumers located far from wine regions. In this paper specific attention is given to the importance attached by wine consumers to various destination and trip attributes when deciding upon a wine tourism experience. A convenience sample of 161 wine consumers in Calgary, Canada, provided data for a factor analysis that reveals the core wine-related features, in relationship to general destination appeal and cultural products. It was determined that highly motivated, long-distance wine tourists prefer destinations offering a wide range of cultural and outdoor attractions. These preferences are compared to previous studies of critical success factors according to wine and tourism-industry personnel, and to the general literature on wine and food tourism. Implications are drawn for wine tourism theory, and practical implications are drawn for the development and marketing of wine tourism destinations.