Examination of Online Reviews on Cultural and Rural Tourism Destinations: The Case of Şirince Village

Abstract

In this study, the online tourism experiences of tourists visiting Şirince, which is an important destination in terms of cultural and rural tourism, have been analyzed by content analysis method. In the study, 824 online Turkish comments published on Tripadvisor web pages, a digital travel platform, until 28.09.2020 were used in the analysis phase of the study. The obtained comments were analyzed using the MAXQDA software, which is frequently used in qualitative data analysis, and word frequencies and cloud were created. When online comments are examined; It is revealed that visitors have a low rate of negative experiences with cultural and rural, activity, local food and drinks, accommodation, transportation, local souvenirs and shopping experiences. Approximately 80% of Turkish online comments made for Şirince are positive; 20% was found to be negative. Among the positive experiences shared by the visitors, Şirince houses, churches, Şirince wines, local food and drinks stand out, while negative experiences are factors such as crowding, traffic density and high prices.