Analysis of Cappadocia Rock-Carved Hotel Experience in Terms of Demographic Variables

Sibel Özdemir; Ebru Güneren

doi:10.5281/zenodo.17575568

Authors

Sibel Özdemir Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi (Turkey) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0700-0823
Ebru Güneren Faculty of Tourism, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University (Turkey) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2669-4402

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17575568

Keywords:

Experiential Value, Cave Hotels, Cappadocia, , Demographic Characteristic

Abstract

The locations within the Cappadocia Region, some of which were used by past civilizations, have been preserved to the present day and converted into distinctive accommodation facilities following a series of renovation projects. These facilities, designated as rock-carved hotels, are intended to prevent the trivialization of experiences and facilitate tourists' access to distinctive geographical, historical, cultural and architectural experiences. The objective of this study is to ascertain whether the experiences of domestic and foreign tourists staying in rock-carved hotels in the Cappadocia Region differ by their demographic characteristics. A total of 465 domestic and foreign tourists were surveyed for this study using the judgmental sampling method. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using the statistical software package SPSS. The T-test and ANOVA were employed to determine whether experiential value differed by demographic characteristics. The analysis indicated that tourists' experiences of rock-carved hotels are influenced by their demographic characteristics. The findings align with and contribute to the broader literature on experiential Tourism, particularly this study also highlights areas where experiential value theory can be further refined. The findings reinforce the importance of customization in service delivery.

Keywords: Experiential Value; Cave Hotels; Cappadocia; Demographic Characteristic.

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Author Biographies

Sibel Özdemir, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi (Turkey)

* (Corresponding author). Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Türkiye. PhD in Tourism Management from Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University (2022). Master’s degree in Tourism Management from Necmettin Erbakan University (2016) and Bachelor’s degree in Tourism and Hotel Management from Selçuk University (2014). Currently serving as a Lecturer at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Devrek Vocational School, Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Services. Previously worked as a Lecturer at Yozgat Bozok University (2017-2024). Her doctoral dissertation focused on "Determining the relationships between experiential value, satisfaction and behavioral intention: The case of Cappadocia Rock Hotels." Her research interests include Tourism Marketing, Gastronomy, and Culinary Arts. Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Devrek Vocational School, Department of Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Services, Tourism and Hotel Management Program. Devrek, Zonguldak, Türkiye. Cv: https://dvys.beun.edu.tr/pbs/sibel.ozdemir?lang=tr, OCIRD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0700-0823 E-posta: sibel.ozdemir@beun.edu.tr

Ebru Güneren, Faculty of Tourism, Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University (Turkey)

She graduated from Hacettepe University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration (1991). She received her master's degree from Hacettepe University, Department of Business Administration (1996) and her doctorate degree from Hacettepe University, Department of Business Administration (2004). She started working as a Lecturer at Başkent University (1996-2002). Later, she worked as a Lecturer at the Cyprus International University (2004-2007). Subsequently, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the same university (2007-2013). She then continued her professional life as an Assistant Professor at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University (2013). She received her Associate Professorship in the field of marketing (2016). Currently, she teaches undergraduate courses at the Faculty of Tourism and graduate courses at the Institute of Tourism Research at Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli University. Her main areas of research are tourism marketing, entrepreneurship, and consumer behavior. Cv: https://biz.nevsehir.edu.tr/ebruguneren/en, OCIRD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2669-4402, E-posta: ebruguneren@nevsehir.edu.tr

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