Are neighbors benefiting from wine tourism development? : perceptions from the North Carolina Piedmont Triad

NC STATE UNIVERSITY Are Neighbors Benefiting from Wine Tourism Development? Perceptions from the North Carolina Piedmont Triad Slate University A&T State University COOPERATIVE EXTENSION Empowering People ■ Providing Solutions Wine Tourism and Community Development Wine tourism is the visitation to vineyards, wineries, and wine-related events for wine tasting or to experience the attributes of a wine region. This form of tourism has grown considerably in the last decade worldwide, including in North Carolina, mainly because wine tourism can foster regional development. The increase of NC wine production, for example, has contributed to diversify the economy, generate jobs, and create new market opportunities in rural communities (Ferreira, 2012). However, both building and sustaining successful wine tourism destinations require strong support from local residents (Canziani & Byrd, 2014). Despite the growth of NC wine tourism and its contribution to local development, it is still unknown whether North Carolinians perceive any benefit from the spur of wineries in their communities. Because that information is critical to optimize the benefits of wine tourism, we surveyed residents of the NC Piedmont Triad to learn how they perceive the contributions of their surrounding wineries. We chose the Triad as the study setting because it is where the first American Viticulture Area of the state was recognized by the U.S. government and because the Triad houses most of NC wineries (NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, 2015). About this Study and its Participants In 2013 we randomly distributed a survey to 663 households located within 10 miles of the Haw River and Surry County wine trails of the Triad.' The survey asked neighbors about a wide range of sociocultural, environmental, and economic benefits that respondents feel local wineries deliver to their communities and their families, respondents' level of participation in various wine-related activities (such as visits to wineries and wine club memberships), and household demographic information. A total of 344 households completed the survey (52% response rate). Our typical respondent was female (58%), middle-aged (average of 52 years old), and had at least a two-year college degree (47%). Half (49%) reported a pre-tax household income of up to $50,000, and 29% earned at least $75,000. Almost one-third (32%) were retirees. Three Types of Winery Visitors Overall, Triad neighbors are not very engaged with wine-related activities. Most have not visited a winery in the Triad (52%) or outside the Triad (71%) in the last three years. Likewise, the vast majority of respondents (90%) are not involved with any wine-related activity; very few follow online wine-related social media (5%), are members of a wine club (5%), participate in informal wine social groups (4%), or subscribe to wine-related magazines (2%). We classified Triad neighbors into three groups based on how frequently they visited local wineries in the last three years (Box 1 on previous page): Non-goers ( 52%), Sporadic (17%), and Regulars (31%). These groups have similar demographic characteristics. Box 1. Three Types of Triad Winery Visitors In the last three years: Non-goers: Did not visit a Triad winery (52%). Sporadic: Visited a Triad winery but rarely (17%). Regulars: Visited a Triad winery at least occasionally (31%). 1 The survey was administered from October to December; the household sample was stratified to include all zip codes within the study area and to capture households located with varying distances from the wine trails. The survey was hand-delivered to randomly selected households and collected two to three days afterward; participants could also mail-back the survey. Statistical analysis conducted for this report include descriptives, chi-square tests, Cronbach's reliability tests, and MANOVA (significant at p < 0.05).