How diverse are residents’ perceptions of wine tourism impacts in three Portuguese wine routes? The role of involvement with tourism, wine production and destination life-cycle stage
International Journal of Wine Business Research
ISSN: 1751-1062
Article publication date: 10 January 2023
Issue publication date: 16 May 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Wine tourism has been growing considerably over the past decades. The literature highlights its relevance in the social, economic and cultural development of the regions where wine routes are located. However, few studies examine residents’ tourism impact perceptions and even fewer analyse the diversity of these perceptions. This study aims to fill this gap, examining this diversity according to the life-cycle stage of the wine route and residents’ involvement with wine and with tourism activities.
Design/methodology/approach
Data obtained from a questionnaire-based survey (N = 882) of residents from three wine routes of the Central Region of Portugal – Bairrada, Dão and Beira Interior – were used, with dimensions of perceived impacts tested for internal consistency via Cronbach’s α. T-tests and ANOVA tests were used to compare residents’ perceptions of wine tourism impacts according to the life-cycle stage of the wine route and residents’ involvement with wine and with tourism activities.
Findings
Generally, residents perceived that wine tourism generates more benefits than costs, with positive economic and socio cultural impacts standing out, while negative environmental and social impacts were perceived less. Some differences are observed according to the life-cycle stage of the wine route, with both the most and the least developed routes presenting more pronounced both positive and negative impact impressions in diverse dimensions. Also, a moderating effect (however not as pronounced) of working in tourism and (even less visible) of working in the wine sector is observed. Possible explanations of these findings and implications on wine route development are discussed.
Originality/value
This article analyses a subject of great relevance for the sustainable development of wine tourism destinations that has been little studied in the literature. Thus, relevant theoretical and empirical contributions are identified.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by the project TWINE – PTDC/GES-GCE/32259/2017 – POCI-01–0145-FEDER-032259, funded by FEDER, through COMPETE 2020 – Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalisation (POCI) and by national funds (OPTDC/GES-GCE/32259/2017-E), through FCT/MCTES.
Disclosure statement: The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Citation
Eusébio, C., Carneiro, M.J., Figueiredo, E., Duarte, P., Pato, M.L. and Kastenholz, E. (2023), "How diverse are residents’ perceptions of wine tourism impacts in three Portuguese wine routes? The role of involvement with tourism, wine production and destination life-cycle stage", International Journal of Wine Business Research, Vol. 35 No. 2, pp. 298-321. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJWBR-05-2022-0017
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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