Anita Silvana Ilak Peršurić

This study examines the motives for wine consumption on a sample of 598 tourists staying in hotels in Istria County, Croatia. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to identity wine consumption motivation dimensions, followed by cluster analysis and hierarchical multinomial logistic regression to identify and profile wine consumer segments. Four motivation dimensions were identified: status, hedonism, relaxation and socialization, resulting in four consumer segments; low, high, hedonic and socially motivated. Wine consumption and travel-related behavior variables differentiated the segments more than demographic characteristics alone. Among the variables related to Malvazija Istarska as an autochthonous regional wine, purchase intention was the only variable that significantly differentiated across all the segments. The findings support motivation-based segmentation and suggest that behavioral characteristics and purchase intention toward regional wine provide useful information for differentiating wine consumer segments.

This study investigates the development and current status of agritourism in Croatia, with a specific focus on Istria County, a region characterized by favorable Mediterranean climatic conditions and a long-standing tourism culture. The research aims to assess the structure and success factors of agritourism enterprises within the broader Croatian tourism market. An empirical field survey was conducted on a sample of 58 agritourism businesses operating in Istria County. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, and enterprises were segmented into three groups according to their length of business operation. The results reveal significant differences among the identified groups in terms of demographic and professional characteristics, including age, educational attainment, prior tourism experience, years in business, and annual tourist visits. The analysis further identifies three key dimensions influencing agritourism: future development (1), consisting of economic and social variables enhancing the business; limitations (2) of land, capital, and laws that can hinder their future; and state interventions (3), such as incentives and taxes created by state authorities. The findings suggest that the sustainable development of agritourism in Istria depends on coordinated policy support, effective utilization of farm, local nature, and heritage resources, as well as continuous improvement in service provision. This study contributes to a better understanding of agritourism dynamics in emerging rural tourism markets and provides a basis for future research and policy development.

This paper investigates the impact of the transition from manufacturing to tourism on sectoral productivity, output prices, and labor costs. Using panel data econometric models for 15 selected EU countries from 2011 to 2023, the study confirms key dynamics predicted by Baumol’s cost disease (BCD) hypothesis. The findings reveal that higher productivity is positively associated with both implied prices and hourly labor costs across sectors, supporting the wage equalization mechanism central to BCD. However, the relationship between productivity and wages or prices is weaker in labor-intensive sectors like tourism, underscoring their structural vulnerability to wage-driven cost pressures. Additionally, the analysis captures the impact of major external shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russo–Ukrainian war, treated as jointly sourced super-shocks. The regression results indicate significant price disruptions following these shocks, whereas no statistically significant trend in labor costs was detected in the post-treatment period. These results highlight the differential effects of external shocks on wages versus prices, emphasizing the challenges faced by low-productivity, labor-intensive sectors in managing cost dynamics. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers addressing sectoral imbalances in the context of BCD and navigating the economic consequences of global disruptions.

Moderate wine consumption is, generally, the focus of various medical studies, while consumer behaviour research does not specifically centres on moderation in wine consumption. Wine consumption in moderation is an important part of various healthy diets; still, consumers need to make informed choices when purchasing wine and the information printed on wine labels partially contributes to this process. Therefore, the main aims of this paper were to develop a scale for measuring perceptions of the health benefits associated with moderate wine consumption, and to test the effect of dietary habits and non-obligatory wine label information on the perception of the health benefits associated with moderate wine consumption. The data were collected on a sample of wine consumers who participated in an interdisciplinary experiment regarding the impact of moderate wine consumption on human health. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics were used. The consumers’ socio-demographic characteristics were used as a starting point in the analysis because they influence wine consumption. Gender was identified as a consistently important variable in predicting the perception of health benefits associated with moderate wine consumption. Health behaviour was a significant predictor along with gender, but after introducing non-obligatory wine label information, its significance in explaining the dependent variable was diminished. The results suggest that a consumer’s perception of the scale of moderate wine consumption is a unidimensional construct. Furthermore, the non-obligatory information on wine labels was identified and classified as either wine-related warnings or wine-related health benefits.

The paper is a case study about the agritourism business in Croatia. In the Croatian most developed tourism county, Istria county, a field survey of 58 agritourism businesses was carried out. Data were processed with adequate descriptive statistics and segmentation of three groups was done according to the length of the running business. The groups differed significantly in age, education, prior work in tourism and tourist visits per year. Future development of their agritourism’s’ depends on economic factors; State and County incentives and tax limitations; preservation of natural and cultural heritage at the County and village level, and on a personal level, upgrading the quality of catering and hospitality services, while keeping the positive image of agritourism as part of the destination offer and as a niche offer in the rural areas.

This study aimed to evaluate bioactive properties of Teran red wine by-products (grape skins, seeds, and wine lees) from six vinification treatments, including a control (7-day standard maceration). Pre-fermentative cryomaceration (8 °C; 48 h) and hot maceration (50 °C; 48 h), followed by the 13-day (CS15; C15; H15) and 28-day (C30; H30) period, considering fermentation/maceration and extended post-fermentative maceration, were conducted. In CS15, the saignée procedure was applied before fermentation/maceration. After maceration, the separation of by-products was performed, followed by lyophilization and solid–liquid extraction. Then, individual phenols were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (FRAP) were analyzed using UV/Vis spectrophotometry. The results showed grape skins and wine lees in all treatments had significantly increased TPC and FRAP values compared to the control. The highest concentration of total phenols (HPLC) in grape skins was found in CS15, at 978.54 mg/100 g DW. In wine lees, the highest concentration of total phenols was detected in the 30-day maceration treatments, at 582.04 mg/100 g DW in C30, and 595.83 mg/100 g DW in H30, despite the pre-fermentative procedure. In grape seeds, the highest concentration of total phenols was found in the control (K7), at 432.42 mg/100 g DW. Pre-fermentative heating together with extended 30-day maceration (H30) strongly reduced the total levels of phenols (HPLC and TPC) in grape seed samples. The findings implied an evident impact of pre- and post-fermentative technologies on phenols and antioxidant activity in wine by-products of cv. Teran (Vitis vinifera L.).

This study investigates the effect of prolonged maceration, pre-fermentation heating, and barrel aging on the volatile aroma profile and sensory characteristics of Teran wine. The vinification processes included a control treatment (7-day maceration, TM7-Y; Y—young wine), 10-day maceration (TM10-Y), 21-day post-fermentation maceration (TM21-Y), and 48-h pre-fermentation heating at 45 °C followed by 8-day maceration (TPHT-Y). All wines were then aged in oak barrels for six months, resulting in TM7-A, TM10-A, TM21-A, and TPHT-A wines (A—aged wine). Volatile compounds were extracted using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), while sensory profiles were evaluated using quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA). TPHT-Y and TM21-Y treatments reduced several groups of free volatile compounds while enhancing sensory properties, with TM21-Y wines notably exhibiting pronounced dried fruit notes, likely due to high β-damascenone concentrations. Conversely, TM10-Y and TM7-Y treatments resulted in significantly higher concentrations of the most volatile aroma compounds. Aging in oak barrels significantly increased the levels of particular free volatile compounds like C₁₃-norisoprenoids, volatile phenols, furans, and lactones. It also enhanced sensory quality, with fruity aromas prominent across all treatments, and TM21-A and TPHT-A wines showing strong dried fruit, jam, and liqueur notes. This study offers valuable insights into tailoring wine aromas and sensory attributes through specific vinification techniques, contributing to a more refined approach to optimizing wine production. In conclusion, the findings highlight the importance of maceration and aging techniques in developing complex and desirable wine profiles, offering practical guidance for improving Teran wine quality.

This paper aims to answer two questions: (1) Does overtourism incline countries to favorise the capital asset holder instead of workers in income distribution? (2) Does income inequality come hand in hand with overtourism? Employing Kaldor's theory of income distribution, this study adapts its theoretical framework to assess countries with a specialization in tourism. The analysis encompasses data from 115 developed countries over the period of 2000 to 2019. A Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) methodology is utilized for the empirical investigation, categorizing key variables based on the exposure of a country's unit to a tourism-focused developmental strategy. The study reveals that adopting overtourism as a developmental strategy has led to increased inequality, characterized by a rising capital share and a declining labor share over time. Evidence supporting these findings is presented through both parametric and non-parametric Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) analyses. Robustness checks and placebo tests corroborate these results.

The purpose of the survey was to identify and analyze moderate wine consumption of Croatian autochthonous wine varieties. The survey was conducted in 2019 and 2020 on the Croatian Science Foundation scientific project “Vinum Sanum”. Dimensions of wine and health benefits, wine quality, labelling, positive and negative effects on wine labels and psychological well-being were assessed with a questionnaire from 374 participants. Results indicated that wine was perceived as a healthy beverage, consumed as part of healthy life style. Health benefits were perceived positively through cardiac, physical health and psychological well-being. Most important quality features were: origin; micro region, terroir, PGI/PDO (protected geographic origin/protected designation of origin), vintage, ageing and sugar content. This survey might be used as scientific evidence for developing health claims for wine, for producers to use health enhancing properties of wines and create packages and/or labels which may boost the positive perception of wine health benefits.

Tourism stakeholders? participation is mostly needed for planning purposes because they have better insights regarding various issues present on a local level. A participative approach enables tourism stakeholders to influence and control, to a certain degree, the development of tourism in their community. However, there is a lack of research on stakeholders? understanding of a participative approach that has been identified. This study uses a qualitative research approach where a focus group (FG) with key stakeholders was employed to examine the mechanism behind the participative approach. Namely, this paper presents the findings about the local stakeholders? experiences with a participative approach and their opinions regarding how to foster this type of initiatives in tourism settings. Data presented in this paper were collected during a discussion with an FG and processed using thematic analysis. The thoughts and opinions of stakeholders were analyzed by taking into consideration barriers and enablers related to the implementation of a participative approach. The main focus was placed on bottom-up initiatives, but other types were included as well. Identified barriers and enablers were categorized into four themes: approach necessity, appropriate stakeholders selection, correct application of the approach, and stakeholders? motivation.