Wine, Commerce and Culture: Museums in the Port Wine Lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
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Authors
Bradley, Richard S.
Issue Date
2007
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
This study begins with a review of literature related to both tourism and museums. The review examines cultural tourism as a growing international phenomenon, in which travelers are seeking greater value and intellectual challenge. Tour operators, like museums, have discovered that tourists want even greater stimuli and more intense experiences. As tourists pursue their own interests, niche tourism has developed around such specific areas as wine, and many wineries now depend on tourism for sales revenue, and museums can attract more visitors.
Following a discussion of my methodology and its limitations, the Findings chapter continues to probe my topic. It begins with information on Portuguese wine tourism, gleaned from further reading, as well as interviews with Port wine company tourism staff. Portugal has greatly expanded its tourism infrastructure since the mid-1970s, and has witnessed the same growth of museums experienced throughout Europe in the same period. Numerous tourism routes have been established throughout the country's numerous wine regions as well. The Port wine lodges responded to this growth by opening their facilities to tourists in the 80's and later established museums to supplement these services. The chapter continues by examining the historical and technical information which forms the thematic basis for Port lodge tours and museums, including company history, winemaking, aging processes, and the different types of wine. The chapter concludes by examining first the tours, and then the museums in each of the eight Port lodges selected for this study.
The final chapter, Conclusions and Recommendations, finds that the Port lodge tours and museums are very much a part of modern cultural tourism and wine niche tourism, and notes that the companies are aware of, and are addressing tourists' desires for new and unique experiences. The lodge tours have been well developed within the industry, with the help of the Association of Port Wine Companies as a coordinating body. Museums, however, have developed rather more independently, each displaying a unique style and format, varying from reception room exhibits to elaborate dedicated spaces. Therefore, focusing finally on museum exhibits, this chapter examines a number of desirable characteristics for these facilities, and cites examples of good practice from among the eight case study lodge museum.