Research Article

Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş

Volume: 6 Number: 1 April 29, 2026
TR EN

Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş

Abstract

This study uses the Urban Marketability Index (UMI) as a methodological framework to evaluate the competitive position of the city of Kahramanmaraş (Turkey). Economic, socio-cultural, infrastructure and tourism criteria are positioned according to the ideal solution and integrated into a holistic marketability index through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS methods. The methodology includes the weighting of each sub-criteria and the evaluation of the effectiveness through expert opinions based on the survey data. The results show that the most effective factors of Kahramanmaraş's competitiveness are “Cultural heritage and tourist attraction” (weight: 0.282) and “Transportation and accessibility" (weight: 0.214). the final UMI rating equal to 0.713 (on a scale of 0-1) shows that although Kahramanmaraş has a high tourist and gastronomic attractiveness, improving the international advertising and logistics infrastructure can significantly increase its competitiveness.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Any external funding or organizational support received for the study should be detailed here. If no external funding was received for the study, it can be stated as follows: "No external funding was received for this research.

Ethical Statement

Ethics approval is not required for this study.

Thanks

The authors do not want to thank any person or institution.

References

  1. Anholt, S. (2007). Competitive identity: The new brand management for nations, cities and regions. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230627727
  2. Anholt, S. (2010). Places: Identity, image and reputation. Palgrave Macmillan. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-0-230-25128-1
  3. Ashworth, G. J., & Voogd, H. (1990). Selling the city: Marketing approaches in public sector urban planning. Belhaven Press.
  4. Avraham, E., & Ketter, E. (2008). Media strategies for marketing places in crisis: Improving the image of cities, countries and tourist destinations. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080557076
  5. Banister, D., & Berechman, Y. (2001). Transport investment and the promotion of economic growth. Journal of Transport Geography, 9(3), 209–218. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0966-6923(01)00013-8
  6. Behzadian, M., Otaghsara, S. K., Yazdani, M., & Ignatius, J. (2012). A state-of-the-art survey of TOPSIS applications. Expert Systems with Applications, 39(17), 13051–13069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2012.05.056
  7. Bessière, J. (1998). Local development and heritage: Traditional food and cuisine as tourist attractions in rural areas. Sociologia Ruralis, 38(1), 21–34. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9523.00061
  8. Boisen, M., Terlouw, K., Groote, P., & Couwenberg, O. (2018). Reframing place promotion, place marketing, and place branding—moving beyond conceptual confusion. Cities, 80, 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2017.08.021

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Marketing Research Methodology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

April 29, 2026

Submission Date

September 20, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 7, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 6 Number: 1

APA
Büyükbaş, Ö., & Ayyıldız, H. (2026). Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş. İşletme Bilimi Ve Uygulamaları Dergisi, 6(1), 22-36. https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA
AMA
1.Büyükbaş Ö, Ayyıldız H. Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş. İşletme Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi. 2026;6(1):22-36. https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA
Chicago
Büyükbaş, Ömer, and Hamdi Ayyıldız. 2026. “Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş”. İşletme Bilimi Ve Uygulamaları Dergisi 6 (1): 22-36. https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA.
EndNote
Büyükbaş Ö, Ayyıldız H (April 1, 2026) Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş. İşletme Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi 6 1 22–36.
IEEE
[1]Ö. Büyükbaş and H. Ayyıldız, “Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş”, İşletme Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 22–36, Apr. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA
ISNAD
Büyükbaş, Ömer - Ayyıldız, Hamdi. “Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş”. İşletme Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi 6/1 (April 1, 2026): 22-36. https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA.
JAMA
1.Büyükbaş Ö, Ayyıldız H. Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş. İşletme Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi. 2026;6:22–36.
MLA
Büyükbaş, Ömer, and Hamdi Ayyıldız. “Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş”. İşletme Bilimi Ve Uygulamaları Dergisi, vol. 6, no. 1, Apr. 2026, pp. 22-36, https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA.
Vancouver
1.Ömer Büyükbaş, Hamdi Ayyıldız. Urban Marketability Index (UMI) Design: A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach Using AHP-TOPSIS for the Case of Kahramanmaraş. İşletme Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi [Internet]. 2026 Apr. 1;6(1):22-36. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA95AX42WA