The purpose of this research is to examine the competitiveness of Sarıkamış destination from the perspectives of the licensed luge athletes participating in 2019 Interclub Natural Luge Turkey Championship competition. The research also intends to reveal the relationship between perceived destination competitiveness and tourism experience. Two research questions were addressed in this research. The first question was to examine to what extent the competitiveness of Sarikamis destination from the luge athletes’ perspective. The second question was to reveal the relationship between the tourism experience and perceived destination competitiveness. The Luge athletes have the opportunity to get experience in a wide range of ski centers at national or international area. Therefore, the perspectives of experienced athletes are important in determining the competitive advantage elements of Sarikamis destination. The data collection of this research is the questionnaire conducted with the luge athletes participating in the competition (n=191). The results indicated Sarikamis destination competitiveness from the luge athletes’ perspective that the highest three mean scores were “The destination’s overall favorable image in the world community, “The destination’s commitment to promoting a positive image” and this was following: “The destination’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment. The research also revealed that the luge athletes’ perception of destination competitiveness and tourism experience in the destination do positively relate to each other. The research provided managerial implications to Sarıkamış destination managers and marketers based on the research findings. Effective image studies should be conducted in order to ensure that the Sarıkamış Cıbıltepe Ski Center can compete with other destinations internationally. In Sarıkamış Cıbıltepe Ski Center, high-quality health services should be provided against the possible injuries and accidents of the athletes. Key words: Destination Competitiveness, Tourism Experience, Sports Tourism, Luge Athletes, Sarıkamış.

This study aims to synthesize creative infusion with the theory of inoculation. It is sought to reveal the potential impact of this synthesis’ application on the perceptions and behaviors of visitors. Relationships among variables are assessed using Solomon Four Group and Factorial Modeling based on experimental designs. The data are gathered from tourists (n = 451) at the Seven Churches sites (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Sardis, Philadelphia, Thyatira and Laodicea) in Turkey. Model results indicate that perceived creative infusion has a significant impact on revisits and recommendations. This is the first study which examines the relationship between perception and behavior by synthesizing creative infusion with inoculation theory in the tourism literature. Furthermore, it is a new contribution to the tourism literature through its revealing that inoculation theory also works in synthesis with creative infusion in the field of destination marketing as previously shown in such fields as behavioral science, communication, marketing and social psychology.

Turkey has many historical and cultural riches beloging to Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as well as "Gobeklitepe", the oldest religious center of the world 11,500 years ago. There are many places in Turkey that are mentioned in the Bible. The most mysterious of these places are the Seven Churches (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea). Today it is observed that there is an current demand especially by Christianity groups who came from Europe, America and the other countries for Seven Churches. The aim of this study is to evaluate the route of Seven Churches in religious tourism in Turkey. In this study, a 6-step content analysis model was used. There are 24 travel agencies that organize The Tour of Seven Churches in Turkey. However, there are no logos, emblems and motto of the Seven Churches. In the study present implications to distinguish, promote and contribute to the creation of an effective image of the Seven Churches from other cultural assets in Turkey.

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Kültür turistlerinin oluşturduğu bir niş pazar haline gelen miras turizmi, üç teorik yaklaşımla ele alınmıştır. Motivasyon, kültürel sermaye ve bu sermayeyi kontrol eden grubu yakından tanımak miras hareketlerini anlamanın özünü oluşturmaktadır. Günümüzde, arz ve talep yönlü gelişim gösteren miras turizminin mevcut ve potansiyel bir pazar konumunda olduğu düşünülmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, miras turizmi yaklaşımı ile ele alınan Yedi Kiliseler'in ziyaretçi profilini seyahat acentelerinin bakış açısıyla belirlemektir. Bu amaçla Türkiye'de Yedi Kiliseler Turu'nu düzenleyen 22 seyahat acentesi ile yarı yapılandırılmış telefon görüşmesi yapılmıştır. Ele alınan niş pazarın profilini, Amerika (%40) ve Avrupa'dan (%50) gelen; turistik ve dini (%36), kültürel (%22), duygusal bağ (%18), hac ve dini (%13) ve St. Paul izini sürmek (%9) amaçları ile hareket eden amaçlı ve tesadüfi kültür turistlerinin oluşturduğu söylenmektedir. Bu pazarı yakından tanımak destinasyon pazarlamacılarına pazar bölümlendirme ve pazarlama karması oluşturma bağlamında faydalı olabilir.