Olive oil consumption has grown substantially in recent years, due in part to the fact that olive oil is healthy. Much of the global olive oil production comes from the rural areas of Jaén in southern Spain. Surrounding this industry, services such as oleotourism are increasing. This paper aims to identify the key elements supporting the development of oleotourism. After a preliminary exploratory analysis of the existing data, a qualitative analysis was performed with actors directly involved in the industry in Jaén. The results helped us define the level of the stakeholders’ involvement and the sustainability, the opportunities, and the constraints affecting oleotourism in this area. The practical implications of this investigation can be useful for governing agencies, local firms, and the tourism industry in support of oleotourism development.

The recent trends in the tourism industry, as well as the attention paid by scholars, practitioners, and institutions, show the relevance of natural tourism as a lever for local development (United Nations World Tourism Organization -UNWTO-, 2005). In this scenario, the business of oleotourism, namely, a form of domestic tourism based on activities related to olive oil production, its tasting, and some connected rural experiences such as harvesting, is continuously—albeit slowly—growing in Europe and especially in the Mediterranean area. Scholars agree that oleotourism plays a key role for multiple reasons, due to its relations to local territories, firms, resources, and other forms of tourism, also favoring sustainable development. Due to the interplay with the local context, the authors plan to combine and compare the evidence from three Mediterranean countries offering examples of tourism initiatives based on olive oil, namely, Spain, Italy, and Croatia. The similarities and differences emerging from the comparison will expand the understanding of this phenomenon and lead to the highlighting of key features and choices in favoring its development in the coming years. Therefore, this research, through the analysis of both theoretical and practical evidences and data from the local contexts, aims to identify additional knowledge for scholars, managers, and policy-makers. The results of the analysis allow the authors to conclude that, although each of the three countries is in a different stage of development, they all have elements that seem to be common to this type of tourism. Finally, it is concluded that oleotourism can be characterized as a form of sustainable tourism, given the preservation of local customs and landscapes, the participation of the resident community, or the development of quality and food safety labels.

Purpose – Oleotourism is becoming increasingly important as Special Interest Tourism (SIT), especially among researchers who seek to propose an individual tourist experience related to the Mediterranean and olive oil production. This paper examines the profile of visitors to olive farms and olive mills to determine their motives. Design – Purposive sampling was used as the method of data collection. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire during the mid-summer season and the post-summer season 2019 in Istria County (Croatia). Methodology – In total, 263 adequately completed questionnaires were used for data analysis. Approach – Twenty-five items of push and pull motivation are analysed with exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by cluster analysis on identified factor dimensions. Findings – After EFA the questionnaire consisted of twenty-two motivational items. Five factor dimensions are identified after EFA and labelled: (1) Socialising and experience, (2) Exterior farm features, (3) Relax with family, (4) Surroundings, and (5) Olive oil and recognition. Cluster analysis revealed 2 different clusters, labelled: Involved olive visitors as the dominant cluster and Inconsequential as the smaller set. Originality of the research – Market segmentation by motivation is key for understanding visitor behaviour in SIT such as oleotourism. This paper explores motivation through push and pull motives and provides a solid basis for further research as well as guidelines for tourism firms dealing with this flourishing business.

Geographical origin, use of traditional varieties and ancestral viticulture/oenology practices characterize wines classified as Historical Wines of Portugal (HWP). This study identifies the authenticity attributes consumers associate with this classification and assesses the relative strength of associations. A review of brand authenticity research and interviews with Portuguese wine producers (n = 3) and consumers (n = 12) were conducted to identify HWP classification attributes. Strength of attribute association was subsequently evaluated in an online questionnaire with a convenience sample of Portuguese wine consumers (n = 641), which included a measure of general wine knowledge and questions about the adequacy of different contexts for HWP purchase and consumption. Wine knowledge markedly affected the nature and strength of consumer associations. Compared to Aspirational Explorers, wine connoisseurs emerged as Heritage Gatekeepers, associating origin, cultural heritage, quality, production and at-home consumption more strongly with HWP, and tradition, wine age and out-of-home consumption less strongly. Market recognition of HWP as a novel and distinctive table wine classification, with well-defined and unique attributes, is thus likely to depend on consumers’ general wine knowledge. Related promotional activities targeting wine novices should first focus on educating them on HWP classification, whereas those directed at savvier consumers should emphasize wine authenticity cues instead.