A NETNOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE EXPERIENCES OF TOURISTS VISITING GIRESUN ISLAND

Abstract

Giresun Island, with its history, culture, mythological stories, and natural beauty, has begun to become an attractive travel route for tourists in recent years. The main purpose of this research is to examine in detail the experiences of tourists visiting Giresun Island. This research employs the netnographic approach, commonly used in qualitative research, to examine online communities. The data of the research were obtained from the Google Maps platform through document analysis. In this context, a total of 76 visitor reviews shared between January 2017 and June 2025, based on a review and filtering conducted on the Google Maps platform on July 1, 2025, formed the sample for this study. These comments were subjected to content analysis with the “MAXQDA20” qualitative data analysis program. As a result of the analysis, a total of 20 main themes, 39 sub-themes and 175 codes were determined, including tourists' positive and negative experiences of Giresun Island, as well as informative and advisory statements. According to the findings of the research, it was determined that tourists visiting the island mostly had positive experiences, and among these experiences, historical and cultural values and natural beauty were particularly prominent. However, incorrect/faulty information, waste of time, failure to meet expectations, and maintenance and cleaning emerged as the main factors that negatively affect tourists' experiences. Based on the research findings, various recommendations were made for destination stakeholders.

Keywords

• Giresun Island
• Tourism
• Tourist Experience
• Google Maps
• Netnography

GİRESUN ADASI’NI ZİYARET EDEN TURİSTLERİN DENEYİMLERİ ÜZERİNE NETNOGRAFİK BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Abstract

Giresun Adası, tarihi, kültürü, mitolojik hikâyeleri ve doğal güzellikleri ile turistler için son yıllarda cazip bir seyahat rotası haline gelmeye başlamıştır. Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, Giresun Adası’nı ziyaret eden turistlerin yaşadıkları deneyimleri detaylı şekilde incelemektir. Bu araştırmada, çevrimiçi toplulukları incelemek amacıyla nitel araştırmalarda yaygın olarak kullanılan netnografik yaklaşım tercih edilmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri Google Haritalar platformundan doküman analizi yöntemi ile elde edilmiştir. Bu kapsamda, Google Haritalar platformunda 1 Temmuz 2025 tarihinde gerçekleştirilen inceleme ve filtreleme sonucunda, Ocak 2017 ile Haziran 2025 tarihleri arasında paylaşılan toplam 76 ziyaretçi yorumu araştırmanın örneklemini oluşturmaktadır. Bu yorumlar, “MAXQDA20” nitel veri analiz programı ile içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur. Analiz sonucunda, turistlerin Giresun Adası’na yönelik olumlu ve olumsuz deneyimlerinin yanı sıra, bilgi verici ve tavsiye niteliği taşıyan ifadeleri ile birlikte toplam 20 ana tema, 39 alt tema ve 175 kod belirlenmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre, adayı ziyaret eden turistlerin çoğunlukla olumlu deneyimler yaşadıkları ve bu deneyimler arasında özellikle tarihsel ve kültürel değerler ile doğal güzelliğin öne çıktığı tespit edilmiştir. Bununla birlikte, yanlış/hatalı bilgilendirme, zaman kaybı, beklentiyi karşılamama ile bakım ve temizlik turistlerin deneyimlerini olumsuz yönde etkileyen başlıca unsurlar olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Araştırma bulgularından hareketle, destinasyon paydaşlarına yönelik çeşitli önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

Keywords

• Giresun Adası
• Turizm
• Turist Deneyimi
• Google Haritalar
• Netnografi

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