Branding Balkan Wines in the Context of the South-Eastern European Wine Tourism

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Branding Balkan Wines in the Context of the
South-Eastern European Wine Tourism

• Dušan Jelic
• www.winesofbalkans.com

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1 Introduction. An Abstract.

• Branding Balkan Wines in the Context of the
  South-Eastern European Wine Tourism
• Creating a marketing tool relying on synergy
  among wine producers and promoters of the
  regional wines
• Linking the Balkan wine industry with wine tourism

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2 The Balkans. A Brief Historical Introduction.

• Balkan Peninsula extends from the Black Sea to
  the Mediterranean
• Balkan history the rise and fall of empires,
  monarchies, dictatorships, communist-socialist
  systems democracies
• Priority the region is overwhelmingly oriented
  towards joining the European Union

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3 Wines of Balkans. Indigenous vs.
International. South-Eastern Europe as a
Gastronomic Heaven.

• 1.8 million tons wine per year - Balkan is 5th in
  the world (2,000 wineries in the regions 12
  countries)
• BIWC 2012 - creation of a powerful marketing tool
  which will rely on synergy among wine producers
  promoters from all South-Eastern European
  countries
• The BIWC 2013 will host representatives of the
  global wine connoisseur elite in order to draw
  the attention of the global wine community to the
  unique range of flavours that Balkan has to offer.

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4 Principles of Wine Tourism

• Tourism planning economic, environmental,
  spatial, management, social, cultural,
  technological political.
• Guiding Principles sustainable, long-term
  planning and public interest, wine and food
  heritage, niche market, contribution to the
  general economic, environmental, social and
  cultural improvement of the nation/region as a
  whole
• The Wine tourism master plan should respond to
  the need to be competitive in the region
• Special features or attractions are the
  foundation for niche market tourism as so-called
  unique selling points.
• If basic principles are neglected - a lot of
  negative consequences

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5 Interesting Points to Explore Further

• Cellar door sale (interesting for the winemakers)
  vs. a total experience (desired by a tourist)
• What if wine tourism infrastructure is
  non-existent or it is poorly developed
• National regional tourist bodies (often) do not
  identify the wine tourism as the top marketing
  priority - the task is to change that!

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6 The Big Question What Should Be Done Now?

• Wine Tourism bodies have to do the following
• Accurately segment national wine tourism
  destinations
• Strategically position less well-know wine
  regions also as holiday destinations
• Promotion of carefully selected wine tourism
  offerings which include winery cellar visits
  with other top attractions in the respective
  regions
• Vigorously encourage the packaging of wine estate
  visits with a diversity of tourist experiences

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7 Implementation of the Wine Tourism Strategy

• Leadership (top quality management, i.e. Istria
  to Dalmatia) at each level of decision-making
• Master plan should be the outcome of an
  appropriate planning process
• The wine tourism strategy is responsive to
• Entrepreneurial initiative
• Partnerships involving private enterprise -
  corporate or individual, traditional communities
  the government
• The various sectors of decision-making
  (corporate, individual, traditional
  governmental) operate in a negotiated framework.

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8 Characteristics of integrated wine tourism
planning

• A decision-making structure designed to link wine
  tourism with other sectors of economic and
  infrastructure development
• An approach which is strategic and goal-oriented
  rather than being re-active and preventative
• A structure which can accommodate inputs and
  influences from the wine tourism industry, other
  sectors of government, and the affected community
• A process which is purposive and deliberate, but
  which is also flexible to adjust to changing
  circumstances
• A process which is guided by principles of good
  management and best practices

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9 Wine Communications Communicators
SocialMedia WineOnline (via Arto Koskelo)

• To be a wine expert is to take a stand to be an
  opinion leader is to have opinions
• To be a wine lover is to share your passion. The
  more you share it, the more you generate it.
• Communicate your preferences clearly follow
  your instinct!

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10 Brief Case Studies

• 1 Istrian Peninsula, Croatia (descriptions from
  Per Karlsson of BKWine.com)
• 2 Development of Wine Tourism at Hvar Island,
  Croatia (with help of Paul Bradbury Ivana
  Krstulovic-Caric)
• 3 Wine Tourism Academy based in Belgrade, Serbia
  (with help of Miloš Kalapiš)