Understanding the Motivations of Millennials in Participating in Wine Tourism – a Case Study on the Kamloops Wine Trail
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by British Columbia's network of post-secondary digital repositories UNDERSTANDING THE MOTIVATIONS OF MILLENNIALS IN PARTICIPATING IN WINE TOURISM – A CASE STUDY ON THE KAMLOOPS WINE TRAIL By SANJA HAECKER A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR IN TOURISM MANAGEMENT in the Department of the Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism Management, Thompson Rivers University AND FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF ARTS IN INTERNATIONAL TOURISM MANAGEMENT for the Academy of Tourism, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences Thesis examining committee John S. Hull (PhD) Associate Professor and Thesis Supervisor, Faculty of Adventure, Culinary Arts and Tourism Management April, 2018 Thompson Rivers University Sanja Haecker, 2018 ABSTRACT Tourism has become one of the world’s largest and fastest growing contributors to the global economy, with Millennials being the industry’s largest market segment. As for most people, experiencing local culture and traditions is one of the main motivators to travel, thus resulting in an increased demand in gastronomic tourism. Introducing Millennials to wine tourism and understanding their motivation for participation is a crucial part to ensure the industry’s future growth. This research paper reviews literature vis-à-vis the tourism industry in Canada, one of the emerging destinations for culinary tourism. Special attention is drawn to wine tourism, wine tourist profiles and travel motivations, as well as the development and growth of wine tourism in British Columbia, which is one of the country’s major players in the wine industry. A case study on the Kamloops Wine Trail, British Columbia’s latest addition to wine tourism development, focuses on the Millennial Generation of students at Thompson Rivers University in engaging in local wine tourism practices. The results identify product related experiences as the main motivation for Millennials to participate in wine tourism, as well as the components of socializing and enjoying the natural setting as important attributes of a wine experience. By profiling the Millennial wine tourists who are dominantly female, the research provides recommendations for the participating wineries on the Kamloops Wine Trail to enhance their marketing strategy. Results indicate that Millennials rely on personal testimonials and recommendations when choosing to visit a winery yet are reluctant to share own experiences on social media. Keywords: Wine tourism British Columbia, Millennials, Kamloops Wine Trail, Wine tourist profile ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. vi LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………1 CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................... 3 Tourism Industry in Canada – A Snapshot ..................................................................... 3 Food Tourism ..................................................................................................................... 4 Defining Wine Tourism ................................................................................................ 5 Wine Tourism Development in Canada and British Columbia .................................... 5 Economic Impact of Wine Tourism ............................................................................. 7 Defining the Wine Tourist ............................................................................................ 8 Wine Tourist Profiles.................................................................................................... 9 Motivation ......................................................................................................................... 11 Identifying Travel Motivation .................................................................................... 11 Motivation of Wine Tourists ...................................................................................... 12 Millennials ........................................................................................................................ 13 Defining Millennials ................................................................................................... 13 Millennials and Wine Tourism ................................................................................... 15 Gaps in the Literature ..................................................................................................... 16 Research Purpose ............................................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER 3 - KAMLOOPS WINE TRAIL................................................................. 17 Destination Kamloops ...................................................................................................... 17 Tourism in Kamloops ...................................................................................................... 17 Development of the Kamloops Wine Trail .................................................................... 18 iii Participating Wineries ..................................................................................................... 20 Harper’s Trail Estate Winery ...................................................................................... 21 Monte Creek Ranch Winery ....................................................................................... 22 Privato Vineyard & Winery ........................................................................................ 23 CHAPTER 4 - METHODOLOGY................................................................................. 24 Approach to Research ..................................................................................................... 24 Study Design ..................................................................................................................... 24 Research Instruments ...................................................................................................... 25 Survey ......................................................................................................................... 25 Interviews ................................................................................................................... 27 Sampling Strategy ............................................................................................................ 28 Survey ......................................................................................................................... 28 Interviews ................................................................................................................... 29 Data Collection and Analysis .......................................................................................... 29 Surveys ....................................................................................................................... 29 Interviews ................................................................................................................... 30 Ethical Review .................................................................................................................. 30 CHAPTER 5 - RESULTS ............................................................................................... 32 Survey Results .................................................................................................................. 33 Demographic Profile ................................................................................................... 33 The Wine Experience ................................................................................................. 37 Wine Consumption and Purchasing Profile................................................................ 48 Psychographic Profile ................................................................................................. 53 Interview Results .............................................................................................................. 57 Harper’s Trail Estate Winery ...................................................................................... 57 Monte Creek Ranch Winery ....................................................................................... 59 CHAPTER 6 - ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION ................................................................ 63 iv Winery Profiles................................................................................................................. 63 Knowledge on Local Wineries ................................................................................... 63 Sagewood Winery....................................................................................................... 64 Privato Vineyard & Winery ........................................................................................ 65 Harper’s Trail Estate