Wine tourism apps as wine destination branding instruments: content and functionality analysis

Abstract

© 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the competitiveness through brand enhancement of the Douro wine tourism apps in light of their content and functionality in comparison to international wine tourism apps. Design/methodology/approach: The content and functionality features of both the Douro and international wine apps are evaluated to determine any statistically significant differences between items. A frequency analysis and chi-square are calculated at item and variable levels, a Shapiro–Wilks test is used to test normality and an independent t-test is deployed to examine the differences in customer ratings and number of downloads. Findings: There is a significant difference between the Douro and international wine apps on an item level, although there is no significant difference between the groups with regard to their content and functionality features in general. Research limitations/implications: By focussing only on the Douro region, 13 other demarcated Portuguese wine regions have been excluded. Practical implications: Wine tourism apps could influence destination branding, as they can inform about the wine region and wine-related activities. A clear layout makes it easier to move through the app, and the use of social media and entertainment enhances user experiences, especially for younger generations. Social implications: Practical guidelines are proposed for wine tourism marketers and managers wishing to upgrade their destination brand image and its services to satisfy demanding wine tourists. Originality/value: The study contributes to the literature about mobile apps in tourism with a content and functionality analysis of wine apps as variables in the technology acceptance model and of their impact on destination branding.