Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to examine the psychographic (product attributes, motivation
opinions, interest, lifestyle, values) characteristics of wine tourists along the Niagara wine
r,~ute, located in Ontario, Canada, using a multiple case study method. Four wineries
were selected, two wineries each on the East, and West sides of the wine route during the
shoulder-season (January, February, 2004). Using a computer generated survey
technique, tourists were approached to fill out a questionnaire on one of the available
laptop computers, where a sample ofN=321 was obtained. The study findings revealed
that there are three distinct wine tourist segments in the Niagara region. The segments
were determined using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a K-means cluster
analysis: Wine Lovers, Wine Interested, and Wine Curious wine tourists. These three
segments displayed significant differences in their, motivation for visiting a winery,
lifestyles, values, and wine purchasing behaviour. This study also examined differences
between winery locations, on the East and West sides of the Niagara wine route, with
respect to the aforementioned variables. The results indicated that there were significant
differences between the regions with respect to these variables. The findings suggest that
these differences present opportunities for more effective marketing strategies based on
the uniqueness of each region. The results of this study provide insight for academia into
a method of psychographic market segmentation of wine tourists and consumer
behaviour. This study also contributes to the literature on wine tourism, and the
identification of psychographic characteristics of wine tourists, an area where little
research has taken place.
