Abstract
International Tourists' Perception of Van
While Van was a tourism region visited by 17 of every 1000 tourists visiting Turkey in the 1990s, today it has become a destination only 1.3 percent of a thousand tourists visit. Undoubtedly, there are many reasons behind a decrease in the number of tourists. Some of these are related to the international conjuncture, some are the result of developments on a national and local scale. But, whatever the reason is, international tourists’ perceptions of Van is the main variable in solving the current problems. In this context, a survey which consists of 23 questions was applied to 351 international tourists who visited Van. As a result of the research, it is understood that the national diversity of the international visitors of Van has changed greatly, and Van has been become a destination in need of a single market (Iran). This situation has negatively affected the enterprises in terms of service and product quality depending on the sense of vacation. It is understood that international tourists spend substantially less and do not seek the same quality. Therefore, many variables that should stand out in international tourism have found their place in the lower ranks. In addition to this, it is understood that 67% of the international tourists to Van come directly to Van without visiting anywhere else. Also, 59.3% came on their first visit, and 56.7% find the entertainment infrastructure in Van is insufficient.
Keywords
International Tourism, Tourism Perception, Van, Sustainability in Tourism
