More than the mountains? Tourists' perception of central Otago winescape

Abstract

A large part of the appeal of the Central Otago region as a visitor destination is the awe-inspiring scenery, dominated by majestic mountain vistas. In the past two decades, however, the premium wines being produced in the region have attracted a growing number of international and domestic wine tourists. The current paper explores wine tourists’ perceptions of the winescape of Central Otago. Findings reflect the dominance of the natural setting in the perceptions of this winescape, and the lack of prominence given to cultural heritage in an assessment of the region’s characteristics. Given the fact that many wine tourists are ‘cultural tourists’ also, there may be possibilities to strengthen the synergies between wine and cultural heritage in wine tourism experiences.