ENTREPRENEURIAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DYNAMIC OF WINE TOURISM: A CASE STUDY

Wine-tourism is an important resource of income when it comes to organized wine producing countries. Wine-tourism in Greece emerged and developed only during the last twenty years and it’s far from being a well-organized industry.The foundation of the “Wine producers’ Association of the Macedonian Vineyard” in November 1993 has played a decisive role in the introduction of Winetourism in Greece. They made important decisions and created an innovatory for Greek standards collective project that would reform and pre-empt any progress in wine-related activities. They established common goals and effectively addressed the challenges of the international market. They created and they suggest specific routes that go through the most picturesque points of a winery zone. Nowadays, 37 members of the Association suggest 41 wineries open to visitors in 8 routes. In March of 2012 a research with questionnaires was realized in order to record the contribution of Wine tourism in the local development of a peripheral area. The study took place in the region of Naoussa which is a part of the “Wine Routes of Naousa” and has 11 wineries.Certain conclusions can be extracted by the analysis of the answers concerning the contribution of Wine tourism in the local Wine industry, the local community and the touristic businesses. Conclusions can also be drawn for the contribution of the “Wine Roads of Northern Greece” in local entrepreneurship.