RESEARCH ON THE DETERMINATION OF RECREATIONAL EXPERIENCE PREFERENCES, EXPECTATIONS, AND SATISFACTION LEVELS OF LOCAL PEOPLE

This study aims to determine Recreational Experience Preferences (REP) of the local people in Alanya, their leisure constraints, their expectations for recreational activities from the local authority, and the level of their satisfaction with recreational areas. Within the scope of the study, the data was collected via a questionnaire from 384 participants who visit recreational areas in Alanya through a convenience sampling method. The most preferred recreational activities of the local people are going on a picnic, visiting friends, and internet surfing. However, the three most important variables limiting the participation of the local people in recreational activities have been identified as lack of leisure time, not enough money, and pollution of toilets, fountains, and wash-hand basins in the region. The three most important expectations of the local people from the local authority in terms of recreational activities are the construction of new recreational areas, ensuring that everyone benefits from the facilities, and cleaning toilets, fountains, and wash-hand basins in the region. In addition, it has been determined that three of the most important motivations that lead the local people to recreational activities are having a good time, mental relaxation, and family togetherness experiences. According to the findings of this study, the level of satisfaction of the local people with the recreational areas is quite low. Besides, The ANOVA results indicated that people demographic characteristics had a significant influence on recreation experience preference.

Outdoor recreation participants’ motivations, experiences and vacation activity preferences

This study investigates the behavioural relationship between outdoor recreation and vacation tourism in order to facilitate the marketing of nature activities as tourism products. In determining the outdoor recreation behaviour, motivations were explored on the basis of the recreation experience preference theory, and experiences were explored on the basis of the experience economy theory. In order to determine the vacation behaviour, which is an important market segmentation variable, vacation activity preferences were investigated. The implementation was accomplished within the scope of the outdoor recreationists in Eskişehir, Turkey. The data were collected through face-to-face and web surveys and analysed with the support of structural equation modelling. As the result of the analyses suggests, significant relationships were found among outdoor recreation motivations, nature experiences and vacation activity preference structures.

THE MOTIVATIONS TO PARTICIPATING TREKKING ACTIVITIES: ADANA CASE

The aim of this study is to determine the profile of the trekking participants and their motivation for participating to trekking activities, which is a kind of nature- based and adventure tourism. Questionnaire technique has been utilized as the data gathering method and for this purpose „Recreation Experience Preference Scale‟, has been used in this study. The sample consists of 324 individuals participated to the trekking within nature- based activities associations in Adana, Turkey. Descriptive statistic methods are used for evaluations and representation of data. As a result of this study we found that majority of the participants are male (% 53,7), between 35-44 years old (% 30,6), married (% 51,2), graduated from university (% 64,8) , have been attending for 1-5 years (%41,7), participate to trekkings 3 or 4 times a year (%41,7), and usually prefer to joint the activities with friends (% 60,8). The results of survey also show that the first ten reasons to motivate the individuals to participate to trekking are; “physical rest, slow down mentally, tranquility,escape role overloads, escape daily routine, escape crowds, exercisephysical fitness, independence, privacy and nostalgia”.