@phdthesis{Tafel2021, author = {Tafel, Maximilian Carl}, title = {Investigating the Characteristics and the Economic Impact of Tourism in German Wine Regions}, volume = {2021}, edition = {1. Auflage}, publisher = {Hochschule Geisenheim}, address = {Geisenheim}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hebis:2083-188}, school = {Hochschule Geisenheim University}, pages = {124}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Wine tourism is a growing niche market around the world. Germany seems to offer an ideal platform for this promising market. However, there is very limited knowledge about the economic significance of wine tourism in Germany and about understanding visitors' needs and expectations. By proposing a framework for three different studies across all 13 German wine regions, including both the travelers' and the wineries' perspective, this thesis aims to alter the understanding of wine tourism in Germany. The three main research questions derived from a survey of the literature (see Chapter 1) are: 1. What differentiates wine tourists in Germany from other tourist segments? 2. How large is the economic impact of wine tourism in Germany? 3. How relevant is wine tourism in Germany from a winery operators' perspective? In order to separate wine tourists from other tourist segments, a quantitative study with 4,478 visitors to wine regions was carried out. By interviewing visitors at "wine-neutral" locations such as city centers or cultural sites, this approach differed from previous research. After segmentation, travelers were divided into wine tourists and other tourist segments. Then, a modified multiplier model was developed that allows measuring the economic impact of wine tourism. Finally, to include the wineries' perspective, 199 qualitative in-depth interviews and 703 quantitative online questionnaires were collected and analyzed. It is the aim of the winery surveys to reveal the relevance and main challenges of wine tourism in Germany. Results show that 7.2 million wine tourists, of whom 89\% are Germans, visit the country's wine regions each year. For them, tasting wine, enjoying nature and combining food and wine experiences are the main motivating factors for visiting a wine region. Wine tourism has a disproportionately large economic impact of EUR 5.0 billion annually, contributing to the income of 71,846 people. From an average winery operator's perspective, wine tourism accounts for 24\% of company sales. Despite an increasing demand in wine-touristic activities, the number of wineries, as well as restaurants, is declining which reduces the attractiveness for culinary-focused wine tourists. To successfully develop wine tourism in Germany, there is a clear need for collaboration among stakeholders. Furthermore, the preservation of cultural landscapes plays an important role in attracting visitors. This thesis advances the understanding of wine tourism in Germany from a visitor's as well as a winery's point of view. The approaches developed for segmenting wine tourists and for assessing the economic impact of wine tourism can be applied in any wine region of the world. They can also be transferred to other forms of special-interest tourism (e.g. alpine tourism and culinary tourism). The findings and discussions can be used for teaching students and training stakeholders at the regional, entrepreneurial and personal level. Wine tourism could help to balance inequalities between rural and urban areas in terms of income and employment levels. This, combined with the preservation of natural resources and cultural landscapes, could lead to sustainable regional development in the German wine regions.}, language = {en} }