Travel Motivations of Tourists Visiting Şanlıurfa

Abstract

Motivation is important in explaining the reasons why tourists choose a particular travel destination or tourism activities, and therefore a useful phenomenon for destination management and marketing effectiveness. This research aims to specify the motivations of tourists visiting Şanlıurfa. Determining the profiles and travel habits of the tourists visiting Şanlıurfa are the subobjectives of this study. In this study, within the framework of the quantitative approach, data were collected with the help of a questionnaire form consisting of three parts. The data were collected in the most visited months of Şanlıurfa (September, October, and November 2019). A total of 400 valid questionnaires were analysed. The data analysis shows that the motivations of the tourists traveling to Şanlurfa consist of four dimensions: ‘culture and learning’, ‘relaxation’, ‘the texture of Şanlıurfa’, and ‘socializing/ prestige’. It was also revealed that travel motivations differ according to tourists’ profiles and their travel habits.