Understanding Visitor Perceptions in Multisensory Wine Tourism – A Sociodemographic Analysis in Portugal

Abstract

Wine tourism has emerged as a key segment of experiential tourism, where multisensory engagement plays a central role in shaping visitor experiences. Despite its growing relevance, existing research has largely focused on motivations, destination development, and economic impacts, overlooking how different sociodemographic groups perceive these sensory-rich experiences. Addressing this gap is essential for developing more targeted and inclusive tourism strategies. This study examines how visitors’ sociodemographic characteristics, namely gender, educational background, and residential environment, influence perceptions of multisensory wine tourism experiences in Portugal. A quantitative approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire administered to individuals who had participated in at least one wine tourism activity in the previous year, yielding 342 valid responses. Data were analyzed through non-parametric statistical techniques, specifically the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests, to identify differences across groups. The findings reveal statistically significant differences across four dimensions: multisensory wine elements, multisensory experiential elements, sustainability attitudes, and visitor satisfaction. Gender emerges as the most consistent differentiating factor, with male respondents reporting higher evaluations across all constructs. Educational background also influences perceptions, particularly regarding experiential and sustainability-related aspects, whereas residential environment showed limited impact. These results highlight the importance of visitor heterogeneity and provide practical insights for designing more tailored and inclusive wine tourism experiences. These results highlight visitor heterogeneity and suggest that wineries and destination managers should adopt more targeted and inclusive experiential strategies to improve satisfaction and destination competitiveness.