Near East University Faculty Members' Study on Sustainable Culture Tourism was published in the Sustainability Journal.
The article co-authored by Asst. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Yeniasır from NEU Atatürk Faculty of Education-Department of Turkish Language Teaching and Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak Gökbulut from NEU Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Department of Turkish Language and Literature, was published by the Sustainability which is an international open access journal that can be indexed by SSCI and Scopus. The article was published under the title "the Perceptions and Attitudes of the Local People on Sustainable Cultural Tourism on the Islands: Nicosia Model".
According to the press info released by the Directorate of Press and Public Relations Office of Near East University, the article presents a study on the rich cultural and historical heritage of Nicosia. The study concludes that the number of tourists isn't at a satisfactory level despite of this rich heritage. The study evaluates the surveys conducted with the people living in the region and draws attention to the necessity of exerting efforts towards creating an environment to which the locals can engage in for tourism activities. The study underlines that the greatest expectation of the people from the sustainable tourism is the economic income.
The study emphasizes that it is a must to know the perceptions and attitudes of the people living in the region in order to sustain a positive development in the cultural tourism. Within this context, the article presents examples regarding sustainable tourism activities carried out in Nicosia region.
The Number of Tourists Visiting Nicosia isn't at a Satisfactory Level...
Since the island of Cyprus is the cradle of many civilizations such as Assyrian, Phoenician, Hittite, Persian, Ancient Greek, Byzantine, Mameluke, Egyptian, Genoese, Venetian, English and Lusignan, Nicosia, the capital city of the island, has a very rich historical and cultural heritage. However, the assessments regarding the issue reveal that the number of tourists visiting Nicosia is not at the desired level.
70% of People in Nicosia have positive perceptions and attitudes regarding Cultural Tourism Activities
The study points out that 70% of people living in Nicosia have positive perceptions and attitudes about the activities carried out for ensuring sustainable cultural tourism in the city of Nicosia while 30% of people have a negative approach to the issue. The study underlines that the ones with negative perceptions and attitudes believe that such activities would deteriorate the demographic and socio-cultural structure.
Ensuring Better Economic Income from Sustainable Cultural Tourism is the Greatest Expectation of the People
The study reveals that the greatest expectation of the people living in the region is economic. The survey assessments show that 45% of the people living the region believe that their income levels will rise due to sustainable cultural tourism activities, 13% of people believe that such activities will propel the launching of new workplaces, 25% of people demonstrate initiatives of contributing touristic activities by opening boutique hotels matching the texture of the city. Apart from this, 10% of the people of the region express wish to contribute with handicrafts and handworks, 15% of people believe that opening restaurants that promote and serve the traditional Turkish Cypriot cuisine will contribute to cultural tourism, 10% of people underlines the significant role of festivals and shows in promoting traditional culture and 10% say that seminars and conferences can be held to introduce traditional culture. The outcomes of the study conclude that the people participating in the survey do not have adequate information about the sustainable cultural tourism.