CASE STUDY: NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA – UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1. The location was a former barren area. How did the developer chose to transform Napa Valley
to a tourist area?

In transforming an area, the developer must check first if it’s worthy of innovation, or does it have what
it takes to be a tourist destination. You should not just develop a location just because you wanted to,
and just because you have the means to do it. The first person who had built one of the homesteads in
the area and was the first to plant Napa Valley grapes in 1839, was George Calvert Yount, followed by
pioneers John Patchett and Hamilton Walker Crabb. The 1940s came when these vintners realized that
working together would help them all to be more successful than working on their own. Then in 1944,
an agreement of association that formed the Napa Valley trade association was signed by seven
vintners, now making 539 wineries. The developer chose to transform Napa Valley into a tourist area
because the place could do much more than just be a barren area. Napa Valley has stunning landscapes
and is notorious for the vineyards and wine it produces. Looking at the characteristics of the said
destination, it can be a promising tourist destination because instead of dishes, sceneries/natural
attractions, the main event of this destination is all about wines. And it seemed to work as it became a
popular tourist destination with around 4.5 million people visiting each year. It was even awarded “The
World’s Best Wine and Food Destination” by TripAdvisor’s 2010 Travellers’ Choice Awards.

2. What do you think was the key to developing areas without a major tourism development
opportunity? Refer to your notes and locate how did the developer applied those to Napa
Valley. 

I think the key to developing areas without a major tourism development opportunity is by focusing on
what the destination could offer to the potential tourist. Embracing what you have can have a significant
impact on the tourist destination itself. Most people take the local natural resources around them for
granted. But by focusing on what the destination can offer, might spark new ideas, and products which
can be one of the reasons for a place to become a tourist destination. In the case of Napa Valley, they
have combined effective marketing of a diverse range of clustered products with a world-class core
activity such as wine production and the opportunity for wine tasting. In addition to visiting spas and art
galleries, playing golf, cycling, boating, walking, ballooning, and riding the Napa Valley Wine Train. They
provided everything that they can offer that is available to them, keeping in mind their responsibility as
human beings on earth, pursuing organic and sustainable agricultural practices, and it became
successful.

3. Who are the key players in promoting the destination?

According to my research, Charles Krug was the person who made Napa Valley famous. He is the person
who was credited with establishing Napa Valley’s first commercial winery back in 1861.  Another key
player in promoting the destination is the non-profit Napa Valley Destination Council (NVDC) which was
established in 1990. This is an informative website that represents 1400 businesses striving to promote,
preserve, and improve the reputation of Napa Valley as a wine, food, and wellness destination. And for
me, the other key players in promoting Napa valley are the local people, wine lovers, and the tourist
who have wants to visit/visited the destination already.