Wine tourism with children

Resumo

Objectives | Wine tourism is not just about tasting and buying wine, but also about allowing tourists to have different experiences in the wine territory based on its natural and cultural attributes. Therefore, it is expected to attract different audiences with different motivations (Byrd et al., 2016; Carlsen & Charters, 2006; Hall & Mitchell, 2002). Studies suggest that families with children are a potential - and even actual - demand for some wine tourism destinations (Cohen & Ben-Nun, 2006; Cho et al., 2019; Gu & Huang, 2019; Malerba et al., 2023). However, very little is known about their motivations and the perceived benefits or difficulties arising from this activity. At the same time, it is generally assumed that wine tourism is of no interest to this market, and little research has been done into the factors that inhibit families with children from visiting wineries (Sigala, 2019). Therefore, this study aims to analyse families with children as potential and actual visitors to wineries, cellars and wineries. It characterises wine tourists who have already visited wineries with children, in terms of their involvement with wine, their motivations for undertaking wine tourism in general and with their children, as well as the perceived benefits and difficulties encountered when visiting wineries with their children. At the same time, it identifies, among those who have not had this experience, the reasons that prevent them from doing the activity. Both groups identify elements of the supply that could increase their intention to participate in wine tourism with children.

Methods | This is a descriptive exploratory study based on a quantitative survey carried out using an online questionnaire made up of multiple choice questions, a Likert scale and open questions. The questionnaire was created in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French and publicised in communities and discussion forums on wine tourism and family tourism on different platforms and social networks. In addition, authors of social media posts with a hashtag relating to wine tourism and/or children were contacted. Finally, a snowballing procedure was used to select respondents, starting with the authors' personal and professional contacts. The questionnaire was available between August and September 2023, and 180 valid questionnaires were obtained from 18 different countries, including 122 respondents who had already visited wineries with children.

Main results and contributions | The main motivations for wine tourism, in general or with children, are to experience a different environment, taste wines, socialise with others, and spend a day out. Concerning motivations related to children, the desire to relax while children play outdoors, to provide entertainment for children and to provide children with learning opportunities stand out. Respondents who have already visited wineries with children mention family togetherness, an outdoor experience and learning as the main benefits of this activity. Both groups refer to the lack of activities for children, who soon get bored and don't allow their parents to enjoy the visit, as difficulties or constraints of family wine tourism. Some said that the environment was inappropriate for children. Among the main aspects that can influence the intention to practise family wine tourism are the offer of fun activities for children, adapted tastings with juices and food, activities with recreationists for children while their parents enjoy the tastings, and the availability of outdoor areas where they can run around safely and freely, such as gardens, as well as the existence of restaurants.

Limitations | This study is based on a limited sample, with a preponderance of respondents from countries that were more willing to answer the questionnaire (Brazil and the United States), which is partly due to the contacts and means of operation of the researchers, but also to the probable openness of these people to the subject or to answering online questionnaires. A face-to-face survey, carried out in different destinations, could provide more comprehensive results that are more representative of the market of families with children.

Conclusions| This study confirms the potential of families with children as a market for wine tourism. By identifying the motivations, perceived benefits, difficulties and constraints of this segment regarding wine tourism, it contributes to a greater understanding of the behaviour of this type of tourist and of the possibilities of wine tourism adapted for this market. At the same time, it raises awareness among supply agents and managers of wine tourism destinations to consider this segment and offer innovative, adapted and inclusive experiences, which can give them an important competitive edge.

References

Byrd, E. T., Canziani, B., (Jerrie) Hsieh, Y.-C., Debbage, K., & Sonmez, S. (2016). Wine tourism: Motivating visitors through core and supplementary services. Tourism Management, 52, 19–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2015.06.009

Carlsen, J., & Charters, S. (Eds.) (2006). Global wine tourism: research, management & marketing. Oxon, UK: CABI.

Cohen, E., & Ben-Nun, L. (2009). The Important Dimensions of Wine Tourism Experience from Potential Visitors' Perception. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 9(1), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.1057/thr.2008.42

Hall, C. M., & Mitchell, R. (2002). The tourist terroir of New Zealand wine: the importance of region in the wine tourism experience. In E. Montanari (Ed.), Food and environment: geographies of taste (pp. 69–91). Rome: Societa Geografica Italiana.

Cho, M., Bonn, M. A., & Brymer, R. A. (2017). A Constraint-Based Approach to Wine Tourism Market Segmentation. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 41(4), 415–444. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348014538049

Gu, Q., & Huang, S. S. (2019). Profiling Chinese wine tourists by wine tourism constraints: A comparison of Chinese Australians and long-haul Chinese tourists in Australia. International Journal of Tourism Research, 21(2), 206–220. https://doi.org/10.1002/jtr.2255

Malerba, R., Kastenholz, E., Carneiro, M. J., & Carvalho, M. (2023). No whining at the winery: family-friendly winescape attributes. Revista Turismo & Desenvolvimento, 43, 27-47. https://doi.org/10.34624/rtd.v43i0.32986

Sigala, M. (2019). Winey Kids: Promoting Wine Tourism to People with Children. In Management and Marketing of Wine Tourism Business (pp. 127–134). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75462-8_7