Hittite and Çorum Tour Proposal

Abstract

This study was carried out in order to create new tour routes for a few days, including Çorum city center, its districts and Hittite ruins. Ten professional tourist guides came to Çorum in 2020 as three separate groups and participated in this study, in which phenomenology, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The guides examined the historical and natural tourist attractions they determined together with the researcher. During the visits of the guides, audio and picture recordings were taken and data were collected. The collected data were analyzed by content analysis. The tourist attractions in Çorum city center, its districts and Hittite ruins are sufficient to organize a three- to four-day tour program. Despite the lack of infrastructure, Çorum city center, Iskilip, Osmancık and Mecitözü districts, apart from the Hittite ruins, have enough attractions for daily visits. It has been stated by the guides that the tour programs of Hattusa, which has been used for many years for a few hours and Alaca Höyük - Hattusa visits with one night accommodation, should be updated. The guides requested that the infrastructure deficiencies such as bringing accommodation, food-beverage, entertainment and souvenir places to the level desired by today's tourists and increasing their number should be completed by making arrangements in accordance with the suggestions they conveyed to the local administrators during their visits. This study does not cover all districts of Çorum. The guides only made suggestions within the scope of history, culture and gastronomy tourism. With the study, it was revealed that tours with the theme of Çorum and Hittite can be made. The new tour program proposed by the first group of guides was tested by the second group of guides. The necessity of determining and implementing a tourism policy at the local level has emerged. It is necessary to re-plan, market and raise awareness of the local people in a way that covers the entire province of Çorum and provides income for the local people living in the region.