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The aim of the study is to contribute to the body of knowledge with a different and richer approach, by evaluating the competitiveness of the Cappadocia Region, which has a culture-oriented single or limited product variety, with a comparative and holistic approach from the perspective of visitors and stakeholders.

This research, designed on the basis of the Cappadocia Region to make original and rich contributions to the literature on destination competitiveness, has the characteristics of a field study based on collecting and analyzing raw data through scales. For this purpose, research was conducted with 401 visitors and 277 tourism stakeholders. Data was analyzed using t-tests to compare two groups and the two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare more than two groups. Cronbach's alpha analysis, nomological validity and a pilot test were conducted for validity and reliability. In addition, descriptive statistics and normality test were used in addition to the exploratory factor analyses.

Because of the research, it was seen that the competitiveness perceptions of the participants in the region differed and that the region has many strengths such as natural beauties, accommodation facilities and a positive image. However, it was determined that the competitiveness perceptions of visitors who have more touristic experiences in the region have increased in parallel with their touristic experiences. It was established that the competitiveness perceptions of the stakeholders who have comprehensive knowledge of the managerial problems and the destination competitiveness components of the region are generally lower than the visitors.

This study provides some practical implications for touristic destinations based on the research area. In order for destinations to survive in a fierce competitive environment and strengthen their competitive position, it is very important to analyze and evaluate consumers' needs and requests correctly, reveal existing differences, and use resources effectively. In addition to strengthening the image of the destination and adopting a sustainable and innovative approach, the integrated tour programs that offer touristic activities in nearby cities can be diversified with nature and adventure activities.

It is seen that studies that have been conducted with a comparative and holistic approach with data obtained from both visitors and stakeholders are quite limited. In addition, most of these studies have been conducted on destinations that are widely preferred such as mass tourism but which are less competitive than alternative tourism examples. Therefore, this study has a broad perspective and strong implications for destination competitiveness.

This paper aims to explore the determinants and implications of travel motivations of international tourists visiting the Cappadocia destination.

The quantitative research method focusing on numerical data was used to test the proposed hypotheses, and the survey technique has been used to collect data. The research participants consisted of 363 international tourists visiting the Cappadocia region/Turkey and spending at least one night there. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed using the AMOS 22 package program to ensure the scales’ construct validity. Then, the structural equation model was established to test the study’s hypothesis, and these hypotheses were tested with the help of path analysis.

As determinants of travel motivations, while electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has a positive effect on travel motivation dimensions, the impact of travel risk perception is negative. Moreover, from the dimensions of travel motivations, novelty/learning and socialization positively affect destination loyalty. However, the influences of escape and relaxation and self-development are meaningless. Besides that, travel risk perception strongly impacts eWOM.

Destination managers and practitioners must maintain a higher level of tourist motivation and reduce tourists’ travel risk perception levels to improve destination competitiveness by constituting a more loyal customer profile. Moreover, eWOM platforms should be used efficiently.

This study points to a functional multidimensional model that contributes to the literature and guides destination managers and practitioners. The proposed framework of determinants and consequences of tourists’ travel motivation can also be applied in other service contexts.

This study investigates to what extent the values perceived by tourists throughout cultural tours impact their overall satisfaction levels and behavioral intentions related to the destination. This study further examines the moderating role of tour guide competency in the relationship patterns concerned.

Empirical data were collected via a survey from 420 foreign tourists who visited Cappadocia and participated in guided cultural tours. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was used for data analysis.

Study results reveal that the effects of quality, emotional, monetary and social value perceptions of tourists gained through cultural tour experiences on their overall satisfaction levels and the effects of overall satisfaction on recommendation and revisit intention are positive and significant. Furthermore, the moderating role of tour guide competency is significant and positive in the relationships between quality value and satisfaction and between satisfaction and revisit intention.

This study offers a critical analysis of discoveries concerning the pivotal role of tour guide competency within the cultural tour experience.

The purpose of this study is to develop a useful, effective and comprehensive approach to facilitate the evaluation of hotel websites.

The paper examines the literature evaluating e-commerce sites, particularly that is focused on hotel, tourism and travel. Moreover, 5 criteria and 19 sub-criteria are identified, and a two-step method is proposed for the assessment of hotel websites whereby the global weights of the proposed criteria are determined by the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process, and hotel websites are ranked through the fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal situation.

The results show that the leading criteria to effectively evaluate hotel websites are trust and information quality and that the most important sub-criteria are special discounts, assurance and reservation information.

This research offers practical advice to increase understanding of the determinants of an effective hotel website so that appropriate strategies can be developed to convert a website visitor into a customer.

The study aims to contribute to businesses operating in the tourism sector which seeks to increase the effectiveness of their websites by identifying criteria and proposing a methodology for hotel website evaluation.

The main purpose of the study is to determine the mediating role of trait anxiety in the relationship between hotel managers’ perceptions of digital competence in the Cappadocia Region and their perceptions of job insecurity.

In this study, which is based on quantitative research, a cross-sectional design was used. The seven-item digital competence scale, four-item job insecurity scale and 20-item trait anxiety scale were used to measure the level of digital competence, job insecurity and trait anxiety of hotel managers. The convenience sampling method was used in the research, and 337 questionnaires were completed by senior and junior managers who agreed to participate in the research. To test the mediating role of trait anxiety, Andrew F. Hayes’ views on the contemporary approach were taken as a basis.

The analysis results showed that digital competence had the opposite effect on job insecurity. Similarly, digital competence had the opposite effect on the level of trait anxiety. The level of trait anxiety affected the perception of job insecurity in a linear direction. As a result of the bootstrapping test, it was found that the indirect effect of trait anxiety on the relationship between digital competence and job insecurity was significant.

The study was unable to collect data from hotels that were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic due to restrictions. Therefore, one of the limitations of the study was that it did not reach the entire population. Another limitation of the study was that the questionnaires were addressed to hotel managers in the Cappadocia Region.

Hotel managers’ digital skills are considered to contribute to the tourism industry by organizing and determining business strategies, work processes and employee skills. In addition, when hiring hotel managers, it is essential to ensure that they have certain skills such as compatibility with the digital age, openness to innovation and the ability to adapt the employees working in their team to the age, which helps to improve the competitiveness of the hotel industry with the world and ensure the continuity of this situation.

The research addressed the variables of digital competence, job insecurity and trait anxiety and collected data from hotel managers in the Cappadocia Region using a survey technique. There were few studies that addressed these variables, and the mediating effect of trait anxiety was revealed based on the contemporary approach.

In this study, the effects of negative tourism impacts, length of residency and nativity on support for tourism development were examined.

Because understanding the attitudes of local people toward tourism support is complex, this study employed both symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric (fsQCA) approaches from a holistic perspective. A total of 336 individuals from Cappadocia, one of Turkey's most prominent tourist destinations, were surveyed.

According to the symmetric method results, respondents' negative perceptions of tourism negatively affect attitudes toward tourism support. Native-born status acts as a moderating variable in the relationship between attitudes toward tourism support and the negative economic impacts of tourism. On the other hand, this study shows that the complex interactions of nativity and the negative impacts of tourism directly affect local people's attitudes toward tourism support.

This study revealed that practitioners should adopt a comprehensive perspective to understand the attitudes of local people toward tourism support.

This study, in addition to the findings obtained via the symmetric method, reveals the complex interaction of the negative impacts of tourism, thus providing a roadmap to improve local people's attitudes toward tourism support by using asymmetric modeling.

The purpose of the chapter is to discuss the tourist experiences by tracing various perspectives and dimensions of authenticity, commodification, and McDonaldization.

The main debates on the authenticity of the tourism experiences and the commodification of the tourism product is examined. Further a relevant literature on the McDonaldization thesis is provided focusing on experiential dimensions of the tourism consumption.

Destinations rely not only on the object authenticity of their attractiveness but also strive to attract tourists by tailoring experiences that will meet high-order needs of the tourists. However, these destinations are under threat by commodification and McDonaldization due to excessive use of the resources as a result of mass tourism.

Destination managers and planners should focus on the experiences without compromising on authenticity, uniqueness, and genuineness of their destinations while refraining over-commercialization and McDonaldization of their offerings.

This chapter discusses the authenticity, commodification, and McDonaldization issues on the basis of a case study of a well-established destination.

Tourist guides undertake many versatile roles as a requirement of their profession. The realisation of these roles also affects the performance of the guide. Findings obtained from empirical evidence on the effects of the tour guide's performance on memorable tourism experiences and the intention to revisit the Cappadocia region shed light on the importance of these elements on each other. Accordingly, the primary purposes of this research are to measure the effect of tourist guides' performance on memorable tourism experiences and the impact of memorable tourism experiences on revisit intention (RVI). For these purposes, the survey technique obtained data from 569 domestic and foreign tourists who participated in guided tours in the Cappadocia region. According to the results of the research, it has been observed that the performance of the tourist guide influences the memorable tourism experience, and the memorable tourism experience affects RVI. In light of the results, suggestions to tourism stakeholders and researchers are listed.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale for host sincerity.

The ten-item host sincerity scale was developed by following a multi-stage scale development procedure (Delphi technique, qualitative interviews and surveys).

The findings reveal that host sincerity is a second-order construct with two underlying dimensions: “sincere social interaction” and “sincere emotional response”. By incorporating host sincerity into the consumer-based model of authenticity, the findings established significant relationships among all constructs, confirming the predictive validity of the host sincerity construct.

Data were gathered from visitors to troglodyte heritage sites (Kandovan and Cappadocia). Future studies should test the newly formed sincerity scale at other cultural destinations to further explore the generalisability of the scale. Further, data were gathered from tourists. Future studies should consider host sincerity from a host perspective.

Cultural destination managers and local hosts can use this instrument as a supplementary tool to evaluate how sincere their hospitality offering appears to tourists.

This paper develops a host sincerity scale to explore the importance of sincere host–guest interactions and tourists’ emotional response to these interactions. It extends the consumer-based model of authenticity by drawing further attention to the importance and impact of host sincerity in stimulating memorable tourism experiences.

The aim of this article is to examine the relationship of service employees perceptions of servant leadership provided by their supervisors/managers and employee’s reports of service quality provided to clients by their hotels.

Data were collected from 221 frontline employees, a 37 per cent response rate, working in four- and five-star hotels in Cappadocia, Turkey. Previously developed and validated measures of servant leadership (Liden et al., 2008) and service quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988) were used and both were found to be highly reliable in this study.

Respondents were generally young, had relatively short organizational tenure and had high school educations. Respondents having longer organizational tenures and those working in five-star hotels reported lower levels of servant leadership. Longer tenured employees, and males, rated some dimensions of service quality lower as well. Service employees reporting higher levels of servant leadership from their supervisors/managers generally indicated higher levels of service quality.

Some limitations should be noted. First, all data were collected using respondent self-reports, raising the limited possibility of response set tendencies. Second, the sample, while reasonably large, may not be representative of all hotel employees in Turkey. Third, all properties were located in one region of Turkey and may not be representative of hotel employees in other regions of the country.

First, organizations could select individuals exhibiting higher levels of servant leadership potential based on indications that these individuals are interested in developing long-term relationships with staff and co-workers and in helping them become more skilled in doing their jobs. Selection can also be augmented by servant leadership training (Fulmer and Conger, 2004). Supervisors/managers could be coached to help them develop their staff and help them meet their unique goals (Raelin, 2003). Finally, workplace cultural value supportive of both servant leadership and service quality can be identified, modeled by senior level managers, supported and rewarded.

Most studies focus on defining and measuring servant leadership or service quality. This study investigates the relationship between servant leadership and service quality.