The Influence of Gender and Region on the New Zealand Winery Visit

Wine tourism is an emerging yet significant area of rural and peri-urban tourism in New Zealand. This paper reports on the results of a national survey of 1,090 visitors to 33 wineries in the wine producing regions of Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Central Otago, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland and the Wairarapa. This survey therefore represents one of the most comprehensive surveys of domestic and international winery visitors yet undertaken and presents one the first opportunities to undertake in-depth analyses of demographic and regional differences in visitor characteristics, winery experiences and behaviour. This paper examines the influence of gender and region on demographic profiles, visitor satisfaction and purchasing behaviour and finds that, while there are a number of important gender and region-specific influences, not all are as might be expected. The paper finds that, despite evidence that females are more receptive to wine and service this does not translate into immediate sales returns, but they are more likely to purchase in the future. Further, while demographic profiles are relatively consistent between wine regions, regional characteristics can have a degree of influence on intended purchasing behaviour.