Coup de Photo: The Role of Visuals in Attracting Tourists to Wine Destinations

This chapter examines how visuals communicated by wineries influence potential visitors' perceptions and intentions. Drawing on recent literature in wine destination marketing, we conducted an experimental study to test how different types of visuals influence a recipient's image of the wine destination and their intention to visit both the destination and the winery. Results show that visuals depicting natural elements have the greatest effect on a recipient's cognitive and affective image of the destination. Visit intentions are also more positively influenced by pictures of the vineyard, particularly when considering a visit to the wine destination itself. Notably, the intention to visit the wine destination is influenced by individuals' cognitive image of the destination whereas the affective image does not play a central role. We found that visuals had only a moderate influence on individuals' intention to visit the cellar. These results are more pronounced for individuals with low to moderate wine consumption. These findings extend knowledge about perceptions of winescape dimensions among potential visitors before the actual experience. The results support the relevance of informational cues that provide a holistic and aesthetic sense of the experience in a place, rather than functional educational cues.