Beverage routes and beer tourism: microbreweries’ attractiveness and characterization in Parana - Brazil

Abstract

The worldwide evolution of craft breweries is notorious, as well as that of the beverage routes and the craft beer tourism segment. According to Coelho-Costa (2015), beer stands out as an indispensable element for a destination to develop tourism activities in this segment. In the state of Paraná, one of the largest producers in Brazil, the problem arises concerning the existence of attractiveness of the enterprises to organize tourist circuits. The present study sought to highlight the potential of craft beer tourism in Paraná, from the characterization of its artisanal microbreweries, as well as its attractiveness for visiting and organizing beverage routes. As a methodology, an exploratory research was developed through a bibliographic and documentary survey. The beverage routes in Brazil were also identified, based on the analysis of the Brazilian Tourism Map, official publicity websites and the Tripadvisor marketing web pages. The field research was structured with a questionnaire used to identify, map and characterize the 65 small brewers in the state of Paraná in a partnership with Sebrae/PR and Procerva - Associação das Microcervejarias do Paraná. As a result, it was identified that the ventures are attractive due to their innovation, production, diversity and quality, constituting a favorable potential for the development of new products, such as beverage routes and other visitation activities, taking advantage of the wide growth of the craft beer tourism in Brazil, appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA, 2020), which shows an increase in the number of brewers.

Keywords
Attractiveness; Craft Breweries; Beverage Routes; Beer Tourism; Paraná