Turkish Rural Lifestyle Migrants to Muğla: A Qualitative Analysis of Video Narratives

Abstract

This article focuses on migration from big cities to the countryside in Turkey, in the case of Muğla province with a lifestyle migration lens, based on content analysis of the stories of migrants posted on the YouTube platform that provides a basis to increase digital migration research. Research results showed that a group of people who were mainly earlier in their life cycle and worked in the private sector in the big cities quitted their jobs to start a new life in the countryside. Most of them escape from the disliked characteristics of big cities, negative emotions caused by urban life and intense work pressure. They are in search of natural and production-centred life in rural areas of the Turkish Aegean. The results indicated that Covid-19 also emerged as a recent motivator. Contrary to the city, favourable features of the countryside, especially the possibility of living in a detached house with a garden, strengthened the positive image of the rural areas. They are seen as safer and more comfortable locations because in the case of a curfew, outdoor activities and a mask-free daily life would be possible due to the private gardens. Migration from big cities to rural areas seems to become a more popular trend with the pandemic.

Professionalisation and Impacts of Short-Term Rentals: The Case of Airbnb in Muğla

“…Katılımcıların bir bölümü ise, satılık ve kiralık konut fiyatlarındaki artışın ve bununla bağlantılı olarak ortaya çıkan barınma sorununun büyükşehirlerden Muğla'ya yönelik artan iç göç ve Ukrayna-Rusya savaşına bağlı olarak yaşanan dış göç kaynaklı olduğunu düşünmektedir. İstanbul başta olmak üzere büyükşehirlerden Muğla'ya gelen kişilerin temel motivasyonları daha iyi bir yaşam arayışıdır (Kaba, 2022). Ekonomik anlamda dezavantajlı olmayan bu kişiler, İstanbul'da barınma için ayırdıkları bütçeyi hatta daha fazlasını Muğla'da da harcamaya hazırdır.…”