Examining of National Tourism Organizations’ Official Websites as a Communication Tool during the New Type of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Period

Öz

In 2020, the world was faced with a pandemic with branded effects. The tourism industry has also been adversely affected by mobility restrictions and lockdowns of Covid-19 pandemic around the world. Countries are making an effort to manage this crisis process well. The aim of this study is to investigate the usage levels of the official websites of the national tourism organizations of twenty countries that received the most international tourist arrivals in the world as a communication tool regarding Covid-19. In the study, data were collected from the official websites of national tourism organizations on Covid-19, through document review and content analysis, among qualitative research methods. According to the data, Spain’s national tourism organization official website related to Covid-19 ranked first with a high score average in communication, information and health dimensions and total score. Due to the absence of any menus, titles or information about Covid-19 on the Mexican official website, all items were evaluated as zero points and ranked last. Finally, based on the results and limitations of the research, the main findings and practical implications of the study for this pandemic management are defined, and recommendations for future research are presented.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• National Tourism Organizations
• Websites

Yeni Tip Koronavirüs (Covid-19) Döneminde Ulusal Turizm Örgütlerinin Resmi Web Sitelerinin Bir İletişim Aracı Olarak İncelenmesi

Öz

Dünya 2020 yılında, çok derin etkileri olan bir salgın hastalıkla karşı karşıya kalmıştır. Turizm sektörü de bütün dünyadaki hareketlilik kısıtlamasından ve kapatmalardan çok olumsuz bir şekilde etkilenmiştir. Ülkeler, bu kriz sürecini iyi yönetebilmek adına çaba sarf etmektedirler. Bu çalışmanın amacı da, dünyada en çok turist çeken yirmi ülkenin ulusal turizm örgütlerinin resmi web sitelerini bir iletişim aracı olarak Covid-19 ile ilgili kullanım düzeylerini araştırmaktır. Çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman inceleme ve içerik analizi ile ulusal turizm örgütlerinin Covid-19 ile ilgili resmi web sitelerinden veri toplanmıştır. Elde edilen verilere göre, İspanya’nın ulusal turizm örgütü resmi web sitesi, Covid-19 ile ilgili olarak iletişim, bilgi ve sağlık boyutlarında yüksek puan ortalamasına ve toplam puana sahip olarak ilk sırada yer almıştır. Meksika resmi web sitesinde Covid-19 ile ilgili herhangi bir menü, başlık veya bilgilendirmeye rastlanmaması nedeniyle, bütün maddeler sıfır puan olarak değerlendirilerek son sırada yer almıştır. Son olarak, araştırmanın sonuçlarına ve sınırlamalarına dayanılarak bu salgın yönetimi için çalışmanın temel bulguları ve pratik çıkarımları tanımlanmış, gelecekteki araştırmalar için öneriler sunulmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• COVID-19
• Ulusal Turizm Örgütleri
• Web siteleri

Kaynakça

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