T he present reality in tourism sets new priorities in the development agenda of destinations, and reinforces the need to move to alternative models which have to meet the increased demands of modern tourists, always emphasizing on experiences. In this framework, among the various forms of Special Interest Tourism developed, wine tourism constitutes simultaneously (Getz, 2000):

• A Tourist Behaviour which occurs via visiting vineyards, wineries, wine festivals or wine exhibitions, where tastings and getting to know the main features of the destination, constitute the primary motivation for the participants.
• Marketing opportunity, which allows winemakers, first, to develop direct communication channels with the consumer and also to achieve in-house sales of their products
• Tourism development strategy: The strong connection of the wine product with the landscape and culture of a region provides the conditions for setting up a grid of tourist activities, the benefits of which do not affect only the wineries.

S ince the beginning of last century, the dynamics of wine as an integration factor of an area on the tourist map is gradually recognized in several European countries where inter-sectoral partnerships are being promoted and “Wine Roads” were created (Hall et al., 2000: 202-206). Gradually, wine tourism is experiencing significant growth in the so-called New World too: in 1998 during the first winetourism conference in Melbourne, the presentation of the national strategy for the development of the Australian wine tourism took place (Brown & Getz, 2005). In Greece, initiatives to attract visitors to the wineries are very recent and are mainly based on collaborative acts (local / regional winemakers’ partnerships) and the implementation of European programs (Alebaki 2012).

S ince the 1990s, wine tourism has begun to attract the interest of the academic community too, as a field of interdisciplinary study and cooperation. In this context, IMIC 2016 Conference aims to record the international contemporary research trends, which will enable the development of new ideas and the exchange of good practices. The IMIC Conference 2016 has a mixed character: this invitation is addressed not only to academics / researchers but also to wine industry representatives, tourism professionals, development institutions and others.

T he conference also aims at offering the opportunity to participants to get informed on a number of issues related to the wine tourism development and to promote dialogue and exchange of good practices between scientists, practitioners and policy makers. The organizers and the members of the program committee invite all interested parties to participate actively in IMIC 2016 and to submit their proposals for presentation on the conference topics.  The conference is part of the series IMIC series, conducted annually since 2004 and it is an initiative of “Heliotopos Conferences”.

T he everlasting vine cultivation and wine production, the imposing landscape and the high level of wine tourism development constitute Santorini the ideal place for hosting the 1st International WINETOURISM Congress.

IMIC 2016
1st International WINETOURISM Congress
14-16 October 2016, Santorini, Petros M. Nomikos Conference Center