EN
In recent years, wine tourism has enjoyed increasing popularity with tourists. Same authors emphasise the close relationship between wine tourism and regional and local development. Wine tourism affects not only the development of the local economy, but also reinforces the awareness of the area's unique geographical and cultural characteristics among the indigenous population (owing to efforts aimed at preserving the specific cultural landscape, observing traditions related to the growing, production, trade and consumption of wine, etc.). Two basic types of wine tourism can be distinguished: (1) European, and (2) American-Australian (which can also be found in South Africa). While the former pattern quite distinctly draws upon culture tourism, the focus of the latter is more on leisure, shopping, etc. What the two patterns have in common is active relaxation and keeping in touch with nature. The concept of wine routes is associated with wine tourism. Based on empirical research conducted in several European countries, nine types of wine routes have been identified; the role of the routes in the fostering of the local economy differs from type to type.