Between wine consumption and wine tourism: Consumer and spatial behavior of Israeli wine tourists

The development of wine tourism worldwide has been accompanied by academic research on wine tourism and wine tourists. Wine tourists and wine enthusiasts have been found to share many socio-demographic similarities. It has been found that people visiting wineries consume wine on a regular basis, have an average to high level of knowledge about wine, and visit wineries and wine-producing regions a few times a year. Their involvement with wine is apparent both from their daily consumption and from their behavior as tourists. Research conducted among wine tourists shows that they share a number of lifestyle characteristics and tend to share the same values. In light of the development of the Israeli wine industry, and in Israeli wine tourism, the aim of this research is to provide an initial characterization of Israeli wine tourists, by looking at their specific characteristics and at wine tourism consumer behavior in relation to wine tourism.