Abstract

The aim of the study is to evaluate the destination image of Belek Tourism Center, which stands out as an important center for tourism activities in Turkey. In addition to the destination image of the area, the study reveals the comments of the local people on tourism development, the image data created in the facilities in the area by the designing architects and their contribution to the image of the area. The data in the study was collected through literature study, a questionnaire that was distributed to the volunteering local and foreign visitors and interviews made with the managers of the tourism facilities in the area. The study has tested the effect of natural environment data and socio-cultural structure of the area on the destination image and the hypotheses questioning the relationship between architectural formation of the facilities and the destination image.

According to the results of the study, the image of the area was shaped by the concepts of ‘sea-sand-sun-golf pitches’. The tourists are not acquainted with the local people, their life styles and customs. While the first time visitors to the area think that there are still natural attractions around, the ones who visited the area previously state that natural attractiveness has been lost. With respect to architectural formation of the facilities, the architect’s search for different images in accordance with his own point of view stands out.
 

Keywords: Destination image, Belek Tourism Center, architecture image.

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