Wine Territories

The Wine Tourism Experiences in the Bairrada Region

Abstract

Wine tourism is booming in countries and regions where wine production is identified as a form of cultural expression and an expression of identity and authenticity and is becoming an essential activity for some tourist destinations. In Portugal, wine tourism has been growing in recent years, significantly enhancing the offer and image of the country's wine-growing regions. This importance has resulted from applying strategies that have proved effective in promoting tourism and strengthening the offer, with the possibility of participating in transformative experiences with a tangible impact on the image of destinations. Given the strategic importance of wine tourism, it is crucial to study this economic activity in greater depth, as its social, cultural, and environmental importance is continually revealed and is in line with the criteria of sustainable development. Taking these references as central, the main objectives of this research are: (1) to reflect on wine territories and their complex relationship, (2) to carry out a bibliographical review of the subject of wine tourism linked to wine territories, and (3) to survey the range of wine tourism experiences that the territories of Bairrada offer visitors, framing them in the model of Thanh and Kirova (2018). The study found that although the territories of Bairrada offer experiences in all four quadrants of the model, the offer of experiences is in the “sweet spot”, although there is a small predominance in the entertainment dimension. The results of this academic study have the potential to enrich the Bairrada region with more precise information on the wine tourism experiences on offer, which will make it possible to continue to increase the quality of the region's tourism offer, positioning it at levels of excellence in this tourism segment, mainly when associated with the gastronomic offer.