Dimensions of Co-Creative Food & Wine Tourism Experiences – Findings from A Multiple-Case Study

Abstract

The relationship between food & wine tourism and co-creation is gaining prominence in the academic field, due to the increasing interest shown by visitors for engaging in multi-sensory, rich experiences while travelling. Considering the relevance of understanding most valued experience dimensions within each tourism context to help design memorable, immersive co-creative food & wine experiences, this article aims to identify the dimensions of food & wine tourism experiences from the perspective of visitors and supply agents. For this purpose, insights from a food tour experience in Lisbon and other gastronomic experiences in Bairrada and Dão wine regions are presented based on a qualitative approach. A netnography study, integrating the analysis of 658 visitor reviews and an interview with the tour operator, combined with a case study involving semi-structured interviews with visitors (N = 38) and supply agents (N = 6) from the above-mentioned wine regions, are key elements of this multiple case study. Content analysis was performed with QSR NVivo 12 software. Findings highlighted a convergent perception of visitors and supply agents regarding the most prominent dimensions of co-creative experiences identified and revealed the potential of qualitative methodologies in the promotion of in-depth knowledge, especially within exploratory research frameworks.

Keywords

• Experience co-creation
• food & wine tourism
• qualitative research
• multiple-case study

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