ENHANCING RURAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH WINE TOURISM:A STUDY OF SERBIANWINERIES

Abstract

Wine tourism is a significant factor in both attracting visitors and stimulating the development of rural regions. It encompasses travel to vineyards, wineries, wine festivals, and wine exhibitions, where the central attractions are wine tasting, grape production, and the opportunity to explore wine-producing regions. Serbia, with its longstanding tradition in viticulture and wine production, holds substantial potential in this sector. The presence of quality wine offerings within rural tourism has a profound impact on the development of rural areas and local communities. To assess the role of wineries in the advancement of rural tourism in Serbia, an analysis was conducted of user reviews available on the Google Maps platform. This study focused on 10 selected wineries, chosen for their prominence in the sector. The data gathered from these reviews was processed using MAXQDA, a software program designed for qualitative data analysis. The results of this research indicated that visitors to the wineries generally held positive perceptions and expressed a strong likelihood of recommending their experiences to others. These favorable reviews suggest that wine tourism has the potential to further boost rural tourism in Serbia. In addition, the study included a SWOT analysis of the wineries and provided recommendations for the improvement of rural areas located along the wine route map.