Wine tourist’s perception of winescape in Central Otago, New Zealand

Abstract

The wine industry of Central Otago has experienced rapid growth over the past two decades. The region has a strong reputation as a producer of premium pinot noir, and there is strong synergy between the Central Otago wine brand and tourism promotion and activity in the region. This chapter reports on the experiences of 178 international and domestic wine tourists to Central Otago. In particular, it is focused on the perception of the winescape of the region, which is dominated by the natural scenery and landscape. While the cultural heritage and history of the district features strongly in the marketing and promotion of tourism and the wine industry in Central Otago, it features less prominently in these visitors’ perception of winescape. Implications of this finding for the future promotion of the region to wine tourists are discussed