This study aimed to comprehend rural tourism marketing through the visitors' eyes and discuss its sustainability. What makes rural tourism marketing more sophisticated and complex is that it is a service marketing, associated with agricultural activities, natural conditions and rural areas, and the main providers have no experience in rural tourism or service marketing. The study investigated perception of visitors in a small village, Kuyucak, in the Southwest part of Turkey, where rural tourism based on lavender production has recently developed. Results of the analysis of 175 questionnaires completed by visitors online showed that more than half of the respondents had heard and got information about the village via social media. Although, the main purpose of their visit was stated as nature/rural experience and recreation/holiday, the primary motivation of the majority was taking and sharing photos via social media tools. Appearance of lavender and previous social media sharing are very important determinants in the decision-making and expectations of visitors. Results of the factor analysis showed that two components composed of the variables regarding pre-visit perception and the physical conditions of the village together explain sixty-five per cent of the overall satisfaction. The most important component in decision making of visitors was found their perception before visiting, which means that what they expected to see was more important than what they actually saw, which was represented by visitors' satisfaction. Making visitors experience their pre-visit perception will contribute to the sustainability of rural tourism activities benefiting the area. RESUMO:Este estudo teve como objetivo compreender o marketing do turismo rural através dos olhos dos visitantes e discutir sua sustentabilidade. O que torna o marketing do turismo rural mais sofisticado e complexo é que ele é um marketing de serviços, associado a atividades agrícolas, condições naturais e áreas rurais, e os principais provedores não têm experiência em turismo rural ou marketing de serviços. O estudo investigado a percepção de visitantes em uma pequena aldeia, Kuyucak, no sudoeste da Turquia, onde o turismo rural baseado na produção de lavanda se desenvolveu recentemente. Os resultados da análise de 175 questionários preenchidos pelos visitantes online mostraram que mais da metade dos entrevistados ouviram e receberam informações sobre o vilarejo pelas mídias sociais, e embora o objetivo principal de sua visita tenha sido declarado como natureza experiência rural e recreação feriado, a principal motivação da maioria foi tirar e compartilhar fotos através de ferramentas de mídia social. O surgimento da lavanda e o compartilhamento prévio de mídias sociais são determinantes muito importantes na tomada de decisões e expectativas dos visitantes. Os resultados da análise fatorial mostram que dois componentes compostos pelas variáveis relativas à percepção pré-visita e às condições físicas da aldeia, juntos, explicam 65% da satisfação geral. O que...
In order to gain competitive advantage in national and international markets through globalization, make the competition sustainable, produce products with advanced technologies and innovative activities and make a flexible production in line with changing demand make firms and / or sectors advantageous in global competition. This study aimed at analyzing a competitive analysis of fruit sector through the Diamond Model developed by Michael Eugene Porter in order to demonstrate national and sectoral competitiveness. For this purpose, the current situation of fruit sector, which is an important economic activity in Isparta, was put forward and analyzed its competition level was discussed. The necessary data for the Diamond Model were gathered through face-to-face surveys with 47 large fruit producers and in-depth interviews with the representatives of other related sectors. Although the fruit sector and related sectors have been located close to natural resources and inputs in the neighbourhood in Isparta, an ordinary agglomeration has emerged but it could not be clustered because collaboration culture has not been developed in the sector and intersectoral. This fact decreases the regional competition chance of the sector. However, existence of an easy and continuously communication among all actors in the sector, state supports to sectoral cooperation / organizations, and actors who are compulsory for benefiting these supports in the region should be considered important advantages for a clustering and increasing regional competitiveness power of fruit sector.
The institutional environment for food quality and safety in Turkey has been rapidly changing since the mid-1990s but there are still some inconsistencies compared with the European Union (EU). High costs of establishing quality assurance systems (QAS), inefficient capacity of the institutional frame, undefined consumer attitudes, low level of production techniques and lack of awareness of producers and consumers are important weaknesses, when evaluating the current food quality and safety situation in Turkey, whereas, rapid development of QAS, increase in consumer demands, harmonisation of legislation with the EU, increase in the research and incentives for quality production, and production potentials were determined as strong points. When analysing the socio-economic situation of farms, producers' knowledge, perception and interest in quality with Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA), it is found that producers did not accumulate capital because of the low profits, a handicap for expanding and investing into production and product quality. Moreover, the producers' knowledge is limited and their quality perception mainly focuses on food safety. As a result, academic studies and research projects need to be extended and the adaptation of the Turkish legislation with the EU should be completed accordingly.Keywords: Food quality and small farmers, barriers for successful food quality, food quality system in Turkey.
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