Destination Marketing: The Case of Afyonkarahisar Thermal Tourism

Year 2023, Volume: 30 Issue: 2, 321 - 341, 15.06.2023

Selim Kırova , Zehra Gökçe Sel , Mustafa Tepeci

https://doi.org/10.18657/yonveek.1206692

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine thermal tourism supply and demand structure of Afyonkarahisar and to determine what kind of steps can be followed within the scope of destination marketing and management perspectives. Within this purpose, case study principles were adopted, and face-to-face interviews were carried out with 16 participants including managers of the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, Provincial Directorate of Health, thermal hotels, municipality publicity office, and travel agencies. Moreover, data was collected via online form from 47 participants who are not able to conduct interview via face-to-face. The content and descriptive analyses indicate that Afyonkarahisar has become a significant thermal centre for domestic tourism; however, the province does not have an adequate share of the international thermal tourism demand. The content analysis revealed main themes as “product, physical evidence and processes”, “workforce in service marketing”, “competition and price”, “cooperation with stakeholders”, “promotional activities”, “local people and cultural structure” and “current and target market.” Recommendations are provided on these aspects to increase the province’s share of the international thermal tourism.
Key Words: Afyonkarahisar, Destination Marketing, Thermal Tourism, Marketing Mix
JEL Classification: M31

Keywords

Afyonkarahisar, Destination Marketing, Thermal Tourism, Marketing Mix

Destinasyon Pazarlaması: Afyonkarahisar Termal Turizm Örneği

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Afyonkarahisar’ın termal turizm arz ve talep yapısını inceleyerek, uluslararası termal turizm hareketlerinden ilin pay alabilmesi için destinasyon pazarlaması ve yönetimi bakış açısıyla hangi aşamaların takip edileceğinin belirlenmesidir. Bunun için, nitel araştırma desenlerinden olan durum çalışması prensipleri izlenmiş ve Afyonkarahisar İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, İl Sağlık Müdürlüğü, termal otel, belediye tanıtım ofisi ve seyahat acentesi yöneticilerinden oluşan 16 katılımcı ile yüz yüze mülakatlar gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ayrıca, yüz yüze görüşmelerin mümkün olmadığı 47 katılımcı için çevrimiçi görüşme formu aracılığıyla veri toplanmıştır. İçerik ve betimleyici analizlerin sonucunda; Afyonkarahisar’ın, kaliteli termal tesisleşmenin katkısı ile ulusal pazarda (iç turizmde) önemli bir termal merkez haline geldiği ancak uluslararası termal turizm hareketlerinden yeterli payı alamadığı saptanmıştır. İlin uluslararası termal turizm pazarından pay alabilmesi için; “ürün, fiziksel kanıt ve süreç”, “hizmet pazarlamasında işgücü”, “rekabet ve fiyat”, “paydaşların iş birliği”, “tutundurma faaliyetleri”, “yerel halk ve kültürel yapı” ile “mevcut ve hedef pazar” konularında gelecek stratejileri üzerine öneriler geliştirilmiştir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Afyonkarahisar, Destinasyon Pazarlaması, Termal Turizm, Pazarlama Karması
JEL Sınıflandırması: M31

Keywords

Afyonkarahisar, Destinasyon Pazarlaması, Termal Turizm

References

• Afyonkarahisar İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü. (2022). Afyonkarahisar’daki Konaklama Tesisleri Envanteri. Erişim Adresi: https://yigm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-201120/konaklama-istatistikleri.html, Erişim Tarihi: 14.02.2019.
• Alvarez-Sousa, A. (2018). The problems of tourist sustainability in cultural cities: Socio-political perceptions and interests management. Sustainability, 10(2), 503. Doi: 10.3390/su10020503.
• Başkurt, İ. (2009). Almanya'da Yaşayan Türk Göçmenlerin Kimlik Problemi. Journal of Education, 6(2), 81-94. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/iuhayefd/issue/8793/109898.
• Boekstein, M. (2014). From illness to wellness – has thermal spring health tourism reached a new turning point? African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 3(2), 1-11. http://hdl.handle.net/10566/2131.
• Buhalis, D. (2000). “Marketing the competitive destination of the future”. Tourism Management, 21(1), 97-116. Doi: 10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00095-3.
• Cockerell, N. (1996). Market segments: Spas and health resorts in Europe. Travel and Tourist Analyst, 1, 53–77. https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19961808511.
• Connell, J. (2006). Medical tourism: Sea, sun, sand and surgery. Tourism Management, 27(6), 1093-1100. Doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2005.11.005.
• Corbin, J. ve Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded theory research: Procedures, canons, and evaluative criteria. Qualitative Sociology, 13(1), 3–21. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/bf00988593.
• Costa, C., Quintela, J. ve Mendes, J. (2015). Health and wellness tourism: A strategic plan for tourism and thermalism valorization of São Pedro do Sul. Health and wellness tourism. New York: Springer.
• Creswell, J. W. (2014). A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research. Londra: SAGE.
• DMAI (2008) The Future of Destination Marketing: Tradition, Transition, and Transformation. Destination Marketing Association International, Washington, DC.
• Doğan, H. Z. (2004). Turizmin Sosyo-kültürel Temelleri. Ankara: Detay Yayıncılık.
• Dolnicar, S. (2008). Market segmentation in tourism. Tourism Management, Analysis, Behaviour and Strategy, 129-150.
• Dwyer, l., Forsyth, P. ve Rao, P. (2000), The Price Competitiveness of Travel and Tourism: A Comparison of 19 Destinations. Tourism Management, 21 (1), 9-22. Doi: 10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00081-3.
• Eravcı, A. (2022). Bütünleşik Pazarlama İletişiminden Bütünleşik Şehir Pazarlaması İletişimine Yönelik Teorik Bir Çerçeve. İletişim Kuram ve Araştırma Dergisi, 2022 (57), 185-201. Doi: 10.47998/ikad.1021022.
• Garcia, J. A., Gomez, M. ve Molina, A. (2012). A Destination-Branding Model: An Empirical Analysis Based on Stakeholders. Tourism Management, 33(3), 646-661. Doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2011.07.006.
• Global Muslim Travel Index, (2018). Global Muslim Travel Index 2018. Singapur: Mastercard & Crescentrating. https://www.crescentrating.com/reports/mastercard-crescentrating-global-muslim-travel-index-gmti-2018.html.
• Gryszel, P. (2012). Destination Management Organization and Creating the Quality of Tourist Product of a Region. Kielce School of Economics, Tourism and Social Sciences https://depot.ceon.pl/bitstream/handle/123456789/2997/Destination_Management_Organization_and_Creating_the_Quality_of_Tourist_Product_of_a_Region.pdf?sequence=1
• Harrell, M.C. ve Bradley, M.A. (2009). Data Collection Methods: Semi-Structured Interview and Focus Groups. Santa Monica: RAND National Defense Research Institute.
• Heath, E. ve Wall, G. (1992). Marketing Tourism Destination - A Strategic Planning Approach. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
• ITB (2018). World Travel Trends Report 2017/2018: Boom or Bust? Where Is Tourısm Headıng. Almanya: Messe Berlin GmbH. https://www.readkong.com/page/boom-or-bust-where-is-tourism-heading-2317146
• Kavaratzis, M. (2007). City Marketing: The Past, the Present and Some Unresolved Issues. Geography Compass, 1 (3), 695-712. Doi: 10.1111/j.1749-8198.2007.00034.x.
• Kozak, M. ve Andreu, L. (2007). Destination Marketing: A Framework for Future Research. Londra: Routledge.
• Kozak, M. ve Rimmington, M. (1999). Measuring Tourist Destination Competitiveness: Conceptual Considerations and Empirical Findings. Hospitality Management, 18 (3), 273-283. Doi: 10.1016/S0278-4319(99)00034-1.
• Lee-Ross, D. ve Pryce, J. (2010). Human Resources and Tourism (Skills, Culture and Industry). Londra: Channel View.
• Lei, W., Huibin, X. ve Kostopoulou, S. (2014, June). The relation of destination marketing and destination management from a theoretical perspective. In 2014 11th International Conference on Service Systems and Service Management (ICSSSM) (pp. 1-6). IEEE. Doi: 10.1109/ICSSSM.2014.6943353.
• McCarthy, E. J. (1975). Basic Marketing: A Managerial Approach. Toronto: Irwin.
• Middleton, V. T. C. (1997). Marketing in Travel and Tourism. Büyük Britanya: The Bath.
• Mutluer, M. ve Südaş, İ. (2008). Yurtdışında yaşayan Türk vatandaşlarının Türkiye turizmine katkısı ve turizm eğilimleri. Ege Coğrafya Dergisi, 17(1-2), 27-34. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/56770.
• Oklobdžija, S. (2015). The role of events in tourism development. Bizinfo (Blace), 6(2), 83-97. Doi: 10.5937/BIZINFO1502083O.
• Özdemir, M. A. ve Kervankıran, İ. (2011). Turizm ve turizmin etkileri konusunda yerel halkın yaklaşımlarının belirlenmesi: Afyonkarahisar örneği. Marmara Coğrafya Dergisi, 2015(24), 1-25. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/marucog/issue/471/3829.
• Patton, M. Q. (1999). Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis. Health Services Research, 34(5 Pt 2), 1189-1208. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1089059/.
• Pew Research Center (2017). Europe’s growing muslim population: Muslims are projected to increase as a share of Europe's population -- even with no future migration. Erişim Aderesi: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322791924. Erişim Tarihi: 17.02.2019.
• Pike, S. D. (2008). Destination Marketing: An Integrated Marketing Communication Approach. Burlington Butterworth-Heinemann.
• Relevy, S. (2015). Perspectives of Otherness: Muslims in Europe between Assimilation and Polarization. Working Paper. European Forum at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. https://ef.huji.ac.il/publications/perspectives-otherness-muslims-europe-between-assimilation-and-polarization.
• Scott, N. ve Jafari, J. (2010). Tourism in the Muslim world. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Doi: 10.1108/S2042-1443(2010)2.
• Smith, M. ve Puczkó, L. (2008). Health and Wellness Tourism. Londra: Routledge.
• Sousa, B. (2015). Thermal tourism and the innovation process. Tourism Today, 15, 146-154. https://www.cothm.ac.cy/_files/ugd/79301e_59e9aee4788042a3bf6df93edac4a0f0.pdf#page=147.
• Taş, B. (2012). Afyonkarahisar İlinde Termal Turizmin Gelişimi. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Fen-Edebiyat Fakültesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2012(26), 139-152. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/117846.
• T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, (2009). Termal Turizm Master Planı 2007-2023. Erişim Adresi: https://yigm.ktb.gov.tr/Eklenti/21666,ttmp.pdf?0. Erişim Tarihi: 14.02.2019.
• T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, (2019). Şubat 2019 Sınır Bülteni. Erişim Adresi: http://yigm.kulturturizm.gov.tr/TR-9851/turizm-istatistikleri.html. Erişim Tarihi: 14.02.2019.
• Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (2022). Turizm istatistikleri 2021. Geliş Amacına Göre Çıkış Yapan Ziyaretçiler. Erişim tarihi:10.11.2022.
• Tütüncü, Ö. ve Ergüven, M. H. (2013). “Termal ve Spa Hizmetler”, (ed: Kozak, N.), T. C. Anadolu Üniversitesi Yayını No: 2904, Açıköğretim Fakültesi Yayını No: 1861, Eskişehir: Anadolu Üniversitesi Web-Ofset Tesisleri Basımevi.
• Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi ve Turistin Sağlığı Hakkında Yönetmelik, (2017, 13 Temmuz). Resmi Gazete. (Sayı: 30123) Erişim Adresi: http://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2017/07/20170713-3.htm. Erişim Tarihi: 9.11.2022. United Nations World Tourism Organization (2004). UNWTO Survey of Destination Management Organisations.
• United Nations World Tourism Organization (2015). UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2015. Erişim Adresi: https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284416899. Erişim Tarihi: 9.11.2022.
• Uysal, M., Harrill, R. ve Woo, E. (2011). Destination Marketing Research: Issues and Challenges. İçinde; Y. Wang & A. Pizam (Eds.), Tourism Destination Marketing and Management: Foundations and applications. Londra: CABI.
• Vukonic, B. (1997) Selective Growth and Targeted Tourism Destinations. İçinde; Wahab, S. ve John, J.P. (eds.) Tourism, Development and Growth: The Challenge of Sustainability. Routledge, Londra, ss. 95–108.
• Wang, Y. ve Fesenmaier, D. R. (2007). Collaborative Destination Marketing: A case study of Elkhart county, Indiana. Tourism Management, 28(3), 863-875. Doi: 10.1016/j.tourman.2006.02.007.
• Wang, Y. ve Pizam, A. (2011). Destination Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications. Oxfordshire: Cabi.
• Yang, J. (2012). Functions of social conflict in tourism: Tourism’s impacts on the Kanas Tuva and Kazakh settlements, Xinjiang, China. European Journal of Tourism Research, 5(2), 196. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1115585887
• Yıldırım, A. ve Şimşek, H. (2013). Sosyal Bilimlerde Nitel Araştırma Yöntemleri (9. Baskı). Ankara: SeçkinYayıncılık.
• Zeithaml, V. A., Bitner, M. J. ve Gremler, D. D. (2006). Service Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm. New York: McGraw-Hill.