Developing the vine : commercialisation and commodification of the wine tourism product in the Stellenbosch Wine Region

Date
2004-12
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Wine tourism is emerging as an increasingly significant phenomenon in wine-producing regions throughout the world. The Stellenbosch Wine Region (SWR) is no exception and has experienced dramatic changes in the last decade. However, despite the documented industry development and rapid participant expansion, there has been insufficient systematic study of the extent, development, management and marketing of the wine tourism product provided by wine farms. This study investigates the SWR in terms of the commercial efforts, initiatives, services, facilities and the commodification of resources that occur on wine farms to form the wine tourism product. The aim of the study is to establish the degree of commercialisation and commodification in the SWR. This is achieved through realising three research objectives, namely 􀂾���������� compiling a thorough and complete list of manifestations and indicators that describe commercialisation and commodification in the wine tourism product on wine farms; 􀂾���������� establishing the degree of commercialisation and commodification at each individual wine farm in the research area; and 􀂾���������� portraying and analysing the spatial distribution of the degrees of commercialisation and commodification. A focus group of twelve individuals involved with wine tourism allocated relative importance weightings for each of the 81 identified manifestations and indicators of commercialisation and commodification compiled in the questionnaire that was distributed to the wine farms in the study area. The questionnaire required respondents to indicate the presence or absence of the listed manifestations or indicators on their respective farms. This data, used in conjunction with the importance weightings, facilitated the calculation of a value representing the degree of commercialisation and commodification for each farm, and so too for the SWR. The study results confirmed the importance of commercialisation and commodification with every wine farm having some form of these phenomena and the SWR having a 38 percent average degree of commercialisation and commodification. Of the five wine routes in the SWR, the Stellenbosch Hills route has the highest degree of commercialisation and commodification with 42 percent.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die opkoms van wyntoerisme is ‘n toenemend betekenisvolle verskynsel in wynstreke dwarsoor die wêreld. Die Stellenbosch Wynstreek (SWS) is geen uitsondering nie en het dramatiese veranderinge oor die laaste dekade ervaar. Ten spyte van die gedokumenteerde ontwikkeling in die bedryf en die vinnige deelnemer uitbreiding, is daar nie genoegsame sistematiese studie van die omvang, ontwikkeling, bestuur en bemarking van die wyntoerismeproduk, gelewer deur die wynplase, nie. Hierdie studie ondersoek die SWS in terme van die kommersiële pogings, inisiatiewe, dienste, fasiliteite en die kommodifikasie van hulpbronne wat op wynplase gevind word om die wyntoerismeproduk te vorm. Die doel van die studie is om die graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie in die SWS vas te stel. Dit word bereik deur die realisering van drie navorsingsdoelwitte, naamlik 􀂾��������� die definiëring van ‘n volledige en deeglike lys van manifestasies en indikatore wat die kommersialisering en kommodifikasie van die wyntoerismeproduk op wynplase beskryf; 􀂾��������� die bepaling van die graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie by elke wynplaas in die navorsingsgebied; en 􀂾��������� die uitbeelding en analisering van die ruimtelike verspreiding van die grade van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie. ‘n Fokusgroep, bestaande uit twaalf individue betrokke in wyntoerisme, het relatiewe belangrikheidsgewigte toegeken aan elk van die geїdentifiseerde manifestasies en indikatore van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie, wat saamgevoeg is in die vraelyste wat versprei is na die onderskeie wynplase in die studiegebied. Die respondente moes die teenwoordigheid of afwesigheid van die gelyste manifestasies aandui. Hierdie data, saam met die belangrikheidsgewigte, is aangewend om waardes te bereken wat die graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie van elke wynplaas, asook die SWS, verteenwoordig. Die navorsing bevestig die belangrikheid van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie en elke plaas is gekenmerk deur vorme van hierdie verskynsels met die SWS wat ‘n 38 persent gemiddelde graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie behaal. Van die vyf wynroetes in die SWS, het die Stellenbosch Hills-roete die hoogste graad van kommersialisering en kommodifikasie vertoon, naamlik 42 persent.
Description
Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
Keywords
Tourism -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Region, Wine industry -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Region, Wine districts -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Region, Theses -- Geography and environmental studies, Dissertations -- Geography and environmental studies
Citation