1 Major Attributes of Tourism Attractiveness of Wineries and Their Influence on Direct Sales Juliane Ratz M.A. HS Harz, University of Applied Sciences, Germany (jratz@hs-harz.de) Prof. Dr. Axel Dreyer HS Harz, University of Applied Sciences, Germany (adreyer@hs-harz.de) Abstract Purpose: Wine regions are also destinations for tourists. The significance of such a region for tourist maps depends on various factors like for instance a beautiful landscape, good (i.e. comfortable, fast, and safe) paths for cycling, interesting routes for walking, or special cultural attractions and events. But successful marketing of such a region as a destination for wine lovers is difficult without really interesting vineyards or wineries. What services do wineries or vineyard owners have to offer to be attractive for tourists? How can they increase direct sales? And what role does wine tourism have in this context? Design/Methodology/Approach: These issues will be dealt with in a detailed literature review. Furthermore visitors of five chosen wineries in the region of Franconia (Germany) were interviewed to find out their criteria for attractiveness of wineries. Face-to-face interviews resulted in 200 valid answers. Findings: Vital for all marketing efforts like tasting and direct sales are a good product quality and service, as well as friendly sales staff. Although the survey confirmed that wine cellar visits and vineyard tours were only subordinate attractions, in relevant literature (worldwide) time and again attractive options especially designed for tourists are mentioned. These options increasingly play a role for differentiating the individual wineries from competitors. And last but not least tourism attraction features for wineries are also important for securing an influx of tourists and thus securing the competitiveness of a wine region. Practical implications: It is possible to obtain high quality wines at various places all over the world but the combination of an interesting vineyard architecture and a beautiful landscape, as well as offers for tourists to actively experience these features (i.e. an interesting and instructive tour through the vineyard) can be decisive for tourists to want to visit the region. Key words: Wine tourism, direct sales, criteria of attractiveness, tourism services