Wine Tourism as an element of promotion and sales in the Wine Routes of Spain in Castilla-La Mancha

Tourism and exporting are increasingly important economic activities for territories. In particular, export survival, understood as continuity in exporting without interruptions or dropouts, depends mostly on the added value of their products. In Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), the absence of added value in the wine sector is identified as the main reason behind the low export prices and the negative image. However, wine tourism offers a solution based on the creation of unique experiences related to the elements of the territory, such as history, geography, and production methods, whose intangible values are transmitted through visits to the wineries. In addition, direct sales during visits become an opportunity for wineries to generate income. This study, based on the analysis of mainly economic sources, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches of an exploratory nature, establishes that the added value of wine favors wine tourism. This, in turn, has a direct impact on the promotion of wine and affects the demand and prices of wines, which influences the chances of export survival of wineries in regions that need promotion and sales elements such a Castilla-La Mancha. These findings can be used as a basis for the study of other regions and/or products.