The developement of oenological route of Malaga from Demand Side

The development of an oenological route of Malaga from the demand-side Gorka Zamarreño Aramendia Elena Ruiz Romero de la Cruz Elena de los Reyes Cruz Ruiz University of Malaga Introduction The 1st UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism in Georgia has allowed us to observe the high level of interest in this important sector as it is a fundamental pillar on which the necessary diversification of many tourist destinations can be sustained (OMT, 8/23/2016). In Europe, wine tourism is favoured by RECEVIN. It is an entity that promotes the European Network of Wine Cities. The accreditation of European wine routes will be carry out through the INTERREG IIIC Vintur project (2004-2006) applying the so-called Vademecum of European Wine Tourism. In Spain, ACEVIN (Spanish Association of Wine-Producing Towns and Cities) is in charge of boosting wine tourism from a regulated way. This project started in 1994 and now has 27 certified wine routes in accordance with the brand Wine Routes of Spain (ACEVIN, 2/3/2017). Wine routes have become a powerful focus of tourist attraction in Spain in the last decade. They have certain advantages over other typologies because they allow the tourist flow without "seasonal" links associated with quality tourism. These routes place value on cultural traditions and deserve a thorough study both at general level and cases studies. Malaga must be studied as it enjoys a leadership capacity in the world tourism sector and an oenological tradition of centuries whose territory can and must be revitalized by adapting its development strategies to new forms of tourism. The construction of a new route will extend the sightseeing tours to the different territorial demarcations, because to this day only the one existing in the region of Ronda, is certified. After a careful review of the literature, we will carry out an analysis of the profile of the oenological tourist in Malaga with the aim of outlining a quality tourism product in line with the existing demand, identifying the potential customers of the future wine route of Malaga. We will use the survey as a way of gathering information and from this point; a bivariate study will be applied to find possible relations that identify other aspects of interest. Conceptualisation of oenotourism and wine routes The European Paper on Wine Tourism defines oenotourism as all tourist and “spare time” activities, dedicated to the discovery and to the cultural and wine knowledge pleasure of the vine, the wine and its soil (Recevin, 2005). The same document systematizes the basic principles of oenotourism. The tourism of the wine is a concept that can be analyzed from different perspectives, from the marketing or attending to the motivation of the traveler, from the offer or from the demand-side. Our profile is closer to a concept that was already defined by Hall (1996); Getz, (2000) and Hall et al. (2000), related to the behavior of tourists in the wineries. The definition that sets wine and activities linked to wine as the main reason for visiting a producing region is closer to the concept of wine tourism and also to the definition that is carried out in a regulated and organized way on wine routes. Gatti & Incertti, (1997) place emphasis on the centers of production. Its definition would be extended with the work of Frochot (2000), in terms of itineraries designed in a wine region, signposted and marketed with the intention of attracting visitors through visits to vineyards, wineries and monuments and historical landmarks of the place. Bruwer (2003), Charters and Ali-knight (2002) and Van Westering also emphasize in other aspects and highlight the experiential nature of the routes visited with the wine and the wineries in its central axis. Academic literature review The fields of study of oenological routes from oenotourism or wine tourism are linked to many lines of research, as can be seen in Graphic 1. The wine routes are related to other tourism, such as cultural, gastronomic, oenological, patrimonial, health-beauty and rural among others. Likewise, it is related to marketing, since the marks from its broad perspective summarized in the appellations, are essential in its constitution and at the level of individual brands they are positioned within the route in relation to the territory or the city. All these issues originate lines of research of interest for the link to the oenological routes. The specific case of appellations has been addressed by Ruiz Romero de la Cruz, Cruz Ruiz & Zamarreño Aramendia (2017b). GRAPHIC 1: MAIN LINES OF RESEARCH OF WINE ROUTES Source: Adapted by authors from Mitchell & Hall 2006. In relation to the analysis of specific wine touristic routes from the perspective of the demand side, we can highlight the works Dobb and Bigotte (1997); AliKnight & Chartes (2001) or Forbes, et al., (2009) and Rochi & Stefani (2006). Specifically, the experience offered by the oenotourist is addressed by Hall, Shaw & Doole (1997); Brown & Getz (2005); Bruwer (2003); Mitchell & Hall (2001a, 2001b, 2004); Marzo & Pedraja, (2009, 2010 and 2012); Cruz del Rio, et al., (2014), among others. The appellations of origin play a fundamental role in the diffusion of these routes (Trasserras, et al., 2007). We can say that the mark of the appellation of origin influences over the brand of the oenoturistic destination (Mar Gómez, 2011). The factors for rural development are accredited in numerous works (Lopez-Guzman & Cañizares, 2008; Millan Vazquez de la Torre, 2012; Scherrer, et al., 2009). Economic and socio-cultural factors and their revaluation proceed, if we know how to manage these routes, alliances between public and private institutions, intervening in the routes (Telfer, 2001; Tomljenovic & Getz, 2009). In Spain the importance of wine tourism was becoming perceptible in academic literature from the end of the twentieth century, when many regions progress through the strengthening of gastronomic tourism, and especially in the rise of wine tourism, as a complementary source of income to wine production (Elias Pastor, 2006). In the Spanish case we will observe numerous works referring to the most significant routes already certified by ACEVIN and in general to highlight Miranda Escolar & Fernandez Morueco (2011) and Lopez-Guzman & Sanchez Cañizares (2008), López-Guzmán, Rodríguez García & Vieira Rodríguez (2013). We quote the ones related to wine tourism from the demand side and specifically those Spanish wines which are near to our study, Alvear González, et al. (2007); Vargas Sánchez, et al. (2008); Matellanes lazo (2010); Nieto González, (2010) and Gómez Rico (2011). The new lines of research must be advanced not only in the case studies, but also in those studies in relation with the increase in sales through the enhancement of certified routes and the measurement of routes as factors of tourism motivation. The wine route of Malaga: A project under construction The recognition of Malaga wines is not new; they are considered one of the oldest in Spain. In historical texts can be quoted the testimonies collected in Garcia de la Leña, 1789; Martín Roa, 1622 and Galín and Delgado, 1887. In contemporary research we recognize for its academic value the studies of Malaga wine in some of its facets, among others (Lacomba Avellan, 1972; Ruiz Romero de la Cruz, 1994; Martínez Molina, 1998, Valencia Díaz, 1990, Vasserot Fuentes, 1978, Garijo Ruiz, 1985). The tourism and the synergies generated by its link with the wine tradition are an aspiration of the future Malaga wine route (Ruiz Romero, Cruz Ruiz and Zamarreño 2017a). The potential of wine tourism in tourist destinations is an expanding reality Malaga aspires to position itself in this new market niche. Demand Analysis: Profile of the oenotourist in Malaga The demand characteristics and needs have been analysed with a survey of both tourists who are visiting Malaga and oenotourists1 A brief summary of the results shows us the following radiograph of the oenotourists: The distribution by sex is almost similar, while the average age is over 50 years (51%). Both groups sum 64% of the visitors. Their level of studies is university and their culture about the wine is middle - high. (71%), spend more than three nights in Malaga (64%) and international tourists (66%). The data is collected by the network (41%), by word of mouth (15%) while 14% go to tourist offices for information. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1! The authors woold like to express their gratitude for the sopport and the data granted by the Regulating Counsel Denomintion Origin “Málaga” “Sierras de Málaga” “Pasas de Málaga”. Source: Authors According to the data obtained through the interviews, the oenotourists are older than other tourists (35% corresponded to the 35-50 age group and 35% to the 50-65 age group). With a high level of studies or secondary education (38% and 31% respectively) with very low or without wine culture. The 55% spends more than three nights, while 41% comes from abroad and 25% from outside Andalusia. In the case of tourists, the information channels used are tourist offices (46%) and internet (35%). The 74% had never visited an oenotourism establishment while 89% would be willing to visit it. Asked about the interest of an oenotouristic route in Malaga, 94% of tourists were in favor of it. Conclusions It is proposed, based on the study, the creation of a Malaga wine route that covers all the territorial demarcations and not only the area of the Serranía de Ronda, which is currently the only route that operates in a regulated manner. The certification of a global wine route will revitalize cultural traditions and will have a very positive impact on the development of the rural territory, diversifying its tourism offer, making the tourism a richer, more diverse and environmentally friendly activity. The data show meaningful values in numerous elements related to the tourist profile. We should note that 23% of wine tourists and tourists value culture as one of the main motivations of the trip. Nevertheless, we notice clear differences between the profiles of both types of tourist. As an example, 72% of wine tourists have a level of education which corresponds to completed university studies in comparison with the 38% of general tourist. The results of this research can help us define a more successful profile of the oenotourist. Along with these data, a more detailed study will be carried out in order to define the strategies in the creation and the promotion of wine routes. Basic bibliography - CRDO. “Málaga” “Sierras de Málaga” “Pasas de Málaga”: Proyecto Creación de una ruta turística asociada al vino o ruta enológica de la provincia de Málaga. Consejo Regulador de las Denominaciones de Origen Málaga, Sierras de Málaga y Pasas de Málaga, en colaboración con los Grupos de Desarrollo Rural de Málaga. Ayuda concedida según resolución de la Dirección General de Desarrollo Sostenible del Medio Rural, (29/11/2013). - Ruiz Romero de la Cruz, E.; Cruz Ruiz, E. & Zamarreño Aramendia, G. (2017a). “Rutas Enológicas ydesarrollo local. Presente y futuro en la provincial de Málaga”. International Journal of Scientific Management and Tourism, v. 3, nº 5, pp. 283-310. - Ruiz Romero de la Cruz, E.; Cruz Ruiz, E. & Zamarreño Aramendia, G. (2017b). Is the apellation the most important? The past and present of the apellations of origin and collective trademarks in the Spanish wine sector. Colección Papeles de Trabajo nº 42. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales. Málaga. España.