Winescape through the lens of organized travel – a netnography study

Abstract

Purpose Winescape is the space where wine experiences occur, consisting of both tangible and intangible elements, and its understanding is very important for both the wine and the tourism industry. The purpose of this study is to define the attributes of winescape as seen from the perspective of organized travel. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the netnography approach by analyzing online user-generated content. A total of 118 TripAdvisor reviews for a wine tour company in Piemont, Italy, were coded using NVIVO12 software. Findings Six major elements of winescape were identified: tour guiding, core wine product, tour planning and logistics, complementary activities, food and dining and nature and scenery prominent. When compared to previous research, the findings show that the type of travel (organized versus independent travel) has a significant impact on the perceived winescape. Research limitations/implications As the study refers to a particular type of destination (Piedmont, Italy), and a specific product (private or small group tours), findings may not fully apply to wine regions and market segments of a different kind. Practical implications The proposed winescape model can be used by both practitioners (for enhancing the quality of their products) and researchers (for comparative studies or as a basis for customer satisfaction models specifically tailored to wine tours). Originality/value Organized wine tours as a specific aspect of wine tourism have been neglected in research so far. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on winescape as seen through the lens of organized wine tourists, and the resulting model differs significantly from the existing ones.