Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 1
Written by Andra - Elena GURGU, Gina FÎNTÎNERU

The current research sets out to examine what type of experiences are attracting tourists to the wineries. Wine tourism is a part of agritourism and it represents an opportunity to attract tourists in rural regions where the wineries are usually concentrated. In general, tourism experiences that are found at a winery are related to experiencing the wine, expanding wine knowledge, or leisure and entertainment activities. In the last years, the wine makers from Romania, besides grape growing and wine production, they have been involved in expanding their business and investing in tasting rooms, restaurants, accommodation and leisure activities - all these facilities to serve as attraction for the tourists. Firstly, for the wine tourism services to be developed, it should be defined which are tourists’ expectations in terms of wine tourism experiences, while secondly the focus should be on the effort needed from the wineries, meaning investment costs, extra staff and trainings, infrastructure, engagement in marketing activities etc. Considering the increasing interest for this type of tourism, the research is based on a self-administrated survey that refers to the motivations of tourists, the key factors that influence the decision to visit a wine region and the main activities and services from the wineries that engage visitors. Based on the received responses, the data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression in order to show the influence between the wine tourism experiences and tourists’ expectations. Wine tourism experiences in the rural areas contribute to the development of agritourism and the economy of the region.

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