Wine Tourism In Italy: Tourist Experiences And Destination Perception

Abstract

Changing lifestyles also affect tourist demands and preferences. In this direction, there is an increase in alternative tourism types that can adapt to environmental conditions. In this study, wine tourism, one of the alternative tourism types, is discussed. It is aimed to obtain information about tourist experiences and destination perceptions through interviews with wine tourists visiting Italy. In the study, a literature review was conducted and semi-structured interviews were conducted between March 21, 2025 and May 04, 2025 with 20 participants coming to Naples from 10 different countries. The research findings show that wine tourism is not just a simple experience of trying a drink; it has a multi-layered structure combined with history, nature, gastronomy and culture. Prominent themes in the interviews were the high interest in wine experiences and gastronomic elements, cultural and natural beauty, infrastructure and language gaps. Participants indicated that gastronomic elements were influential in their travel intentions and all of the participants said that they intend to travel to Italy again. As a result, Italy is a prominent wine tourism destination and in order to develop wine tourism, it is recommended to produce multilingual content, invest in infrastructure, and bring rural areas to tourism.