Developing a Wine Tourism Destination Image Measurement Scale

Abstract

Wine tourism plays an important role in the positioning strategies of wine destinations. As the competitiveness is high among wine destinations, it is important to identify the main factors that affect wine tourists’ decision making. One of the most important factors is the wine tourism destination’s image. To measure the image of a wine region, there is a need for a scale that is adapted to the characteristics of wine tourism destinations. Our purpose is to develop a scale that can measure any wine region’s image. We used a literature review and focus group interviews to collect scale attributes. We gathered responses using an online survey. Our respondents were mostly non-visitors. We used FA to analyze the data. We also tested the reliability of this scale using Cronbach’s Alpha. As a result, we developed a reliable scale with six factors. This can be further tested and used by any wine tourism destination to measure the people’s perceptions about them. The developed scale can have various purposes. It can be used by destination management organizations or marketing agencies. Measured images of wine region can be used in the planning of future positioning strategies and promotions. The scale can be used to compare the images of competitor wine regions. Images can also be studied during a period and any changes can be observed.