Determining motivational factors and market segmentation of Thrace region wine tourists in the context of gastronomy tourism

Gastronomy tourism, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, enables a destination to be explored through its local cuisine. For this reason wine tourism, which is a sub-branch of gastronomy tourism, is an important tourism product for many wine producing countries. Although the main motivational factor in wine tourism is wine, many factors ranging from the attributes of the wine region to the visitors' wishes such as relaxation and socialisation may also have an impact on the realisation of visits. The aim of this study is to determine the main motivational factors and the market segmentation of wine tourists in Thrace Region. For this purpose a face-to-face survey was conducted with 399 wine tourists who visited Thrace wineries. The data obtained were tested with Descriptive Statistical Methods, t-Test, ANOVA Test, Mann Whitney U Test, Cluster Analysis, Factor Analysis, Hierarchical Regression Analysis and Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis. As a result, it was determined that the motivation of wine tourists visiting Thracian wineries is affected by six factors: Educational Experience, Wine Product, Winery Presence, Vineyard Aesthetics, Socialisation and Destination Attractiveness. In addition, it was determined that wine tourists visiting Thrace wineries were divided into profiles as wine lovers, wine enthusiasts, wine novices and hangers-on (uninterested).