Exploring Wine Tourism in New Zealand: The Visitors' Points of Views

Abstract

With the remarkable growth of New Zealand's wine industry in the last decade, the concept of wine tourism has been gaining in popularity among different groups of travelers to rural areas. Numerous factors can impact individuals' decision to visit wineries. Many consumer-related studies emphasize the consumers' perceived value of the consumption experience, as well as how to deliver a satisfying experience to consumers. This also applies to wineries seeking to attract visitors and benefit commercially in the process in the form of wine and food sales. This study conducted among New Zealand wineries explores several aspects related to visitors' winery experience. These aspects include the most relevant factors impacting on visitors' decision to travel to wineries, how visitors discover their chosen winery, the value they place on elements of their winery experience, and their overall satisfaction. The findings suggest the critical importance of word-of-mouth advertising in influencing winery choice. The results also indicate that a rather large number of visitors travel to wineries for reasons other than the wine, including their proximity of the winery, passing by, or on route to another destination. The overall results could have important implications for wineries, particularly in their efforts to market their businesses.