Wine production and tourism - Essay Example

Supervisor Wine Production and Tourism: Adding Service to a Perfect Partnership Martin A O'Neill, Adrian Palmer. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. Ithaca: Aug 2004. Vol. 45, Iss. 3; pg. 269, 16 pgs A Brief Review By: October, 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS 0.0 Executive Summary 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Problem Statement and Research Questions 2.1 Objective and Purpose of Study 2.2 Research Structure 3.0 Research Methods 4.0 Findings of Research 5.0 Managerial Implication and Recommendation 6.0 Lessons From Research Paper Executive Summary This study makes an attempt of a context and critical review of the study "Wine Production and Tourism: Adding Service to a Perfect Partnership". The study focused in Western Australia and used a modified SERVQUAL methodology. The findings of the study are three folds. The study first of all found out that, Operators are on balance, performing on the most important product and service attributes based on a sample of 353 visitors to two wineries. Secondly, the researchers stressed the importance of the cellar-door concept and corresponding service levels to the future success of wine-tourism operations. The study further found out that, success depends not only on the quality of the wine being offered but also on the way it is offered for sale within the cellar-door environment the by emphasizing the concept of service delivery and augmentation. From the findings, the cellar-door concept now means that the quality of service received during a visit is as likely as the wine itself to drive future wine sales. However, the study in itself failed to explain the complexity of factors that led visitors to place such high importance on this attribute. 1.0 Introduction Of Late, wine tourism has not only proven as a growing area of special-interest through out the world but has attracted the attention of researchers. According to the researchers Palmer & Neil (2004), the sector has been largely applauded for its wide range of benefits, including foreign-exchange earnings, the creation of full- and part time jobs, the generation of secondary economic activity and the ability to generate substantial long-term wealth and sustain steady tourism growth for these regions. The work of Palmer & Neil (2004), attempts to bridge the knowledge gap by adding to the existing literature. 2.0 Problem Statement and Research Questions In the study, Palmer & Neil (2004) argued that, the fact that wine tourism is confronted by a range of critical development issues that have the potential to interfere with its sustainability and long-term profitability. Visitors' perceptions of the service received at the cellar door have become a focal point. The main research question investigated in the study is stated below. The study investigated the quality of the wine being offered, the way it is offered for sale within the cellar-door environment. Thus, what are the attributes of service quality as applied to Visit wineries What are the implications for marketing for studying repeat behaviour Issues such as what motivates repeat caravanning behaviours are addressed further. 2.1 Objectives and Purpose of Study According to the researchers, the study was conducted to identify the attributes of service quality as they apply to visits to wineries through a survey of visitors to wineries in Western Australia. Another objective was "to find out the emergence and significance of wine tourism as a new growth sector of truly global proportions. At the same time, the study further finds out the scope and characteristics of repeat behaviour. 2.2 Research Structure The research is divided in to four main areas. Section one introduces the research and the subject matter, highlighting the main themes and problem statement of the work. Section two reviewed previous literature on wine tourism emphasizing the importance. Focus is on the work of Johnson (1997). Section three provides the methods used to gather information. The research is strictly quantitative where questionnaires are administered in the form of a survey. Section four is the data presentation and analysis section while section five provides findings conclusions and recommendations. 3.0 Research Methods The study uses a quantitative research approach to gather relevant information. That is, using quantitative method, the study identified significant trends among current visitors to wineries. The quantitative research method adopted by the researcher was used to form a future avenue of enquiry. The wineries selected were chosen based on their willingness to participate in the research and on the fact that they offered an extensive cellar-door service. In the survey used for data collection, visitors to the park were presented with a twenty-three item self completion questionnaire. Visitors, were required to rate their perceptions of the dimensions listed on a 5-point Likert-type scale anchored at strongly disagree (1) and strongly agree (5). In a similar vein, respondents were asked to rate the level of importance attributed to each dimension on a similar scale. Other discussions with respondents were recorded and further analysed. The researchers then cross-checked for accuracy against independently transcribed notes. Scale items were based on twenty-two items of the original SERVQUAL. This is so because, the factor structure has been found to be appropriate to a wide range of consumer services. 4.0 Findings and Contribution to Research area Respondents were distributed almost equally by gender-160 (45.3 percent) men and 189 (53.5 percent) women. The study made three importance findings, the researchers found that operators are, on balance, performing well on the most important product and service attributes, based on a sample of 353 visitors to two wineries. Secondly, the researchers stressed the importance of the cellar-door concept and corresponding service levels to the future success of wine-tourism operations. Repeat users guarantee income, increase security, decrease paid promotions, increase w.o.m, establish social networks; but can take ownership and displace new users. The study further found out that, success depends not only on the quality of the wine being offered but also on the way it is offered for sale within the cellar-door environment and at the same time, the study in itself failed to explain the complexity of factors that led visitors to place such high importance on this attribute. The work of Palmer & Neil (2004) has not only proven that the is a relationship between customers purchase decision is not only dependent on the quality of wine, but also on how the wine is being delivered. It also proofed the emergence of wine tourism as a new growth area. 5.0 Managerial Implications and Recommendations An important implication from this study is that of relationship marketing and heightened the importance of service augmentation, packaging and divisibility. For example, the study has proven that the quality of the wine on offer for tasting is undoubtedly at the forefront of most visitors' minds, operators understand that there is great potential for the physical surroundings and other tangible cues to have a profound effect on the perceptions patrons form and take away about the service they receive (Palmer & Neil 2004).What skills do caravan holidays develop compared with unit holidays Do repeat users spend less than first time users in park and surrounding community 6.0 Lessons Learned An important lesson drawn from this study is the importance of the relationship of service quality, service delivery, customer's loyalty and brand development. While this study reported that the nonavailability of wines was seen as a significant failing of wineries, the study in itself cannot explain the complexity of factors that led visitors to place such high importance on this attribute. Thus, products and services should be developed and delivered from the perspective of the customer's perception as tied to these attributes. The importance of relationship marketing is also highlighted in the study. We also learned that, managers need people management skills to deal with repeaters sense of ownership and tribal solidarity. Place, community, and tribal attachment important motivators along with cost and risk aversion Puzzle I appreciated the focus on a typical, under studied aspect of leisure travel The study challenged my assumptions about the heterogeneous (similar) nature of repeat markets I find the development of experience from place to community to tribal attachment interesting in terms of human learning It is important to maintain opportunities for caravanning as a low cost, tribal experience Read More