Investigation of Tourist Experiences in Daday Equestrian Tourism Centres

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 310 - 326, 28.02.2025

Çağdaş Aydın

https://doi.org/10.53353/atrss.1594792

Abstract

Tourism acts as a bridge between cultures and contributes significantly to regional development. In recent years, there has been growing interest in alternative forms of tourism that offer different experiences beyond the traditional sea-sun-sand trio. Equestrian tourism has emerged as a niche market with significant growth potential. This study examines visitors' experiences to equestrian tourism centers in the Daday district of Kastamonu province, which is known for its rich natural landscapes and equestrian tourism centers. Building on tourist experiences, the research investigates how equestrian activities in Daday fulfill tourists' experiential needs for entertainment, education, escape, and aesthetics and the overall satisfaction levels of these experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants who visited at least three equestrian centers in Daday. Content analysis revealed that while they reported generally positive experiences, areas such as service quality, staff professionalism and duration of activities need improvement. The findings contribute to the literature in the context of equestrian tourism centers and provide practical recommendations to improve tourist satisfaction and promote the sustainable development of equestrian tourism centers in Daday.

Keywords

Equestrian tourism, Tourist experience, Daday, Türkiye

Daday Atlı Turizm Merkezlerinde Turist Deneyimlerinin İncelenmesi

Abstract

Turizm, kültürler arasında bir köprü görevi görmekte ve bölgesel kalkınmaya önemli ölçüde katkıda bulunmaktadır. Son yıllarda, geleneksel deniz-güneş-kum üçlüsünün ötesinde farklı deneyimler sunan alternatif turizm biçimlerine yönelik ilgi giderek artmaktadır. Binicilik turizmi, önemli bir büyüme potansiyeline sahip niş bir pazar olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu çalışma, zengin doğal manzaraları ve atlı turizm merkezleriyle tanınan Kastamonu ilinin Daday ilçesindeki atlı turizm merkezlerini ziyaret edenlerin deneyimlerini incelemektedir. Turist deneyimleri üzerine kurulan araştırma, Daday'daki binicilik faaliyetlerinin turistlerin eğlence, eğitim, kaçış ve estetikle ilgili deneyimsel ihtiyaçlarını ne ölçüde karşıladığını ve bu deneyimlerin genel memnuniyet düzeylerini araştırmaktadır. Daday'daki en az üç binicilik merkezini ziyaret eden 17 katılımcı ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Yapılan betimsel ve içerik analizleri neticesinde, genel olarak olumlu deneyimler bildirirken, hizmet kalitesi, personel profesyonelliği ve faaliyet süresi gibi alanların iyileştirilmesi gerektiğini ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Bulgular, atlı turizm merkezleri bağlamında literatüre katkıda bulunmakta, turist memnuniyetini artırmak ve Daday'daki atlı turizm merkezlerinin sürdürülebilir gelişimini teşvik etmek için pratik öneriler sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Atlı turizm, Turist deneyimi, Daday, Türkiye

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