Adana's Faith Tourism Potential and The Opinions of Local People About Faith Tourism

Abstract

Adana, which has hosted many important civilizations throughout history and whose history dates back to the Polished Stone Age, is a city where tourism activity has been experienced in different forms since the past. Adana is also an agricultural and industrial center. The aim of this study is to reveal the potential of Adana in terms of faith tourism and the views of the local people about faith tourism. Within the scope of the research, in addition to the information about the history of Adana, information about seven mosques and one church, which has an important historical and architectural content and is still in use today, is given. In addition, information about 36 churches, most of which belong to the Byzantine period and whose ruins have survived, has been compiled, and there is also a section about mausoleums and visits in Adana, apart from mosques and churches. In order to determine the views of the people of Adana on faith tourism, a survey was conducted with 391 people using the snowball sampling method. Survey results were analyzed by frequency analysis, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). As a result of the research, it has been revealed that faith tourism activities in Adana are insufficient and faith tourism venues are not recognized enough, but the people of Adana show a positive approach to faith tourism and the development of faith tourism in Adana.