What does the olive oil tourist value at the destination? A criterion for olive oil tourism segmentation

Abstract

Olive oil tourism, or oleotourism, is an activity with great potential for the development of rural, olive oil-producing areas. Various works exist from the point-of-view of demand, although the majority of these offer a descriptive analysis of olive oil tourists that does not enable an in-depth examination of their purchasing habits. The present work seeks to contribute to the knowledge of olive oil tourists’ behaviour to enable the design of a differentiated offer with greater added value. We, therefore, propose a classification of olive oil tourists according to the value that they place on certain aspects of the destination, based on a quantitative study undertaken in Spain, the main olive oil-producing country in the world. The obtained results have enabled us to identify three market segments: safety and comfort, demanding and accessible. These segments present significant differences with respect to the aspects or dimensions that olive oil tourists value at the destination. The main implication of these results is to enable professionals in the olive oil tourism sector to configure the offer in line with the needs and aspects valued by each of the segments and to design communication strategies with messages and actions adapted to each different type of olive oil tourist. This would address the market more effectively.