Using the bf web to promote the wine tourism in the West of Portugal

Abstract

In Portugal, tourism is increasingly important, while the wine industry has been a relevant sector, both at national and international levels, for decades. This paper focuses on the use of the web to promote wine tourism in the West of Portugal, especially in the Lisbon Wine Route. It is intended to characterize the offer of wine tourism in this region, and to understand the online communication strategies used to promote such tourism. Findings reveal that, in the West of Portugal, the wine tourism offer is still inconsistent and that the websites used to promote the wine route present several shortcomings. However, due to the potentials of this touristic sector, the investment on wine tourism promoted through the web it might be an asset for the organizations of the area.