In an increasingly globalizing world, cities, regions and brands are recognizing the importance of creating a unique identity to sustain their relevance and escape homogenization. Many humans are also feeling threats of losing their ability to define and express their self-identities and often look towards travel as a way of (re)discovering the essence of their true selves (Wang, 1999). Often these travelers are seeking authentic interaction (MacCannell, 1976), a place for self-expression (Wang, 1999), and, at times, the ability to positively impact their host community (Schnell, 2013). Since drinking spaces have often been seen as a frame of reference for the set of practices that constitutes a beer culture-rituals, traditions, social interactions, specific aesthetics, and a sense of community and are vehicles to express shared values, meanings and interests (Gammelgaard & Dörrenbächer, 2013), it is possible that visitors to a brewery experience can achieve their travel goals. This thesis researches the question, How can visiting a brewery experience affect a visitor’s formation of place attachment to the location? And the sub-question How can perceived authenticity increase this feeling of place attachment? Theoretical background research on place attachment, authenticity, neolocalism, sociality and sharing, heritage and storytelling, and how breweries shape their communities compared relevant investigations to create a framework for my study. Qualitative research including interviews and participant observations discovered themes including: (1) breweries ability to create atmospheres that feel authentic, (2) the ability for visitors to express their self-identity through breweries, connecting them to place identity, (3) breweries’ common practices of creating personalized, interactive environments that create a level of involvement in visitors, (4) the unique experience provided by breweries, often aiding the search for neolocalism, (5) the ability to share experiences and have social interactions that feel authentic, (6) the connection between breweries and local businesses, local community and local environment, (7) breweries’ dedication to their original location and other ways they display their heritage and culture, and (8) the perceived quality and visitor satisfaction achieved during brewery experiences. These themes analyzed against the theoretical background found a combination unique to breweries that are able to create place identity and place dependence, the two components of place attachment (Kyle, Graefe & Manning, 2005), as well as perceived authenticity which further constructs place attachment (Wang, 1999). Furthermore, the successful formation of place attachment at breweries can also lead to the success of the community since most, including each brewery that was studied, participate in economically and environmentally sustainable practices.

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Martini, A.
hdl.handle.net/2105/56213
Place, Culture and Tourism
Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication

Hayes, M. (2020, June 12). BREWING CONNECTIONS - Understanding Place Attachment in Brewery Tourism. Place, Culture and Tourism. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2105/56213