Rural tourism and the craft beer experience: factors influencing brand loyalty in rural North Carolina, USA

Abstract

Craft or "boutique" breweries are increasing in numbers in the USA, and in other parts of the developed world. Many are located in rural areas, and have become new rural tourism visitor experiences, related to wine tourism and linked to the growth in culinary tourism. This study offers a clearer understanding of what factors most influence brand loyalty to craft beer, and craft breweries, and sheds light on methodologies for assessing loyalty to other rural tourism, and culinary tourism, experiences. It is based on a survey of patrons visiting and purchasing from two micro-breweries in rural North Carolina, USA, examining concepts used in brand loyalty research including access, environmental consumption, connections with the community, satisfaction, and desire for unique consumer products. Results show that connection with the community, desire for unique consumer products, and satisfaction are the three factors that most align themselves with brand loyalty to rural brewery visits. Connection with the community was the most important factor in influencing brand loyalty especially among those born in the study region, and/or resident there, as well as among tourists. The paper notes implications for rural breweries, for destination management organizations and for marketing and development strategies.

Food Tourism in Indigenous Settings as a Strategy of Sustainable Development: The Case of Ilex guayusa Loes. in the Ecuadorian Amazon

“…This had led to the search for alternative or integrative managerial models, among which Sidali and co-workers' experience-intimacy approach [20] has emerged as a framework that is particularly suitable for promoting local food to rural tourists [21][22][23][24]. Basically, the authors build their theory upon psychological research on love and intimacy in relationships [25], as well as sociological studies focused on the tensions associated with the process of globalization [26,27].…”

Economic and Social Sustainable Synergies to Promote Innovations in Rural Tourism and Local Development

“…Adding culinary elements to local tourism allows visitors to learn more about the cultural identity of a territory through its food. Culinary tourism creates new economic opportunities both for local producers and for the local area as a whole, without altering social, environmental, and cultural structures [10,11]. Both studies also observe the spread of a new trend, "neo-localism", which describes the rejection of globalized food markets in favor of unique products and direct relationships with local producers.…”

“…As highlighted by Sidali et al [10], food products are not only important for enriching the local tourism experience but also for producers who, unwittingly or not, start to build their own identity through their product. The strengthening of the link between tourism and local food is also considered an important driver for sustainable rural development [10]; Murray & Kline [11], as it intersects the trend for "neo-localism", a type of "resilience to globalization" [31] or, as highlighted by Schnell [39], an adherence to local ties done consciously and not out of necessity as happened in the past.…”

“…Both studies also observe the spread of a new trend, "neo-localism", which describes the rejection of globalized food markets in favor of unique products and direct relationships with local producers. The building of exclusive relationships between consumers and producers promotes consumer trust and customer loyalty, which allows local producers to compete with the big global actors in the food sector [11]. In analyzing the advantages produced by rural tourism networks, Petrou et al [22], for example, reflect on the way in which formal and informal interactions between economic agents promote the complementarity of territorial resources, thereby allowing the rural tourism destination to offer an integrated product.…”

“…In recent times rural tourism has had to meet the new demands of the modern tourist, who is increasingly looking to experience not just the natural environment but also the cultural heritage and typical products of rural areas [7,10]. This stems from a desire to reclaim a form of cultural identity that has been lost in the process of urbanization but can be rediscovered through rural tourism [11,12].…”