Examining an inclusive social tourism practices in Turkey

ABSTRACT

This study and its conceptual framework are motivated by the awareness of the positive impacts of social tourism on social inclusion. The aim of the research is to explore the potential of social tourism for creating an inclusive tourism form through investigating alternative camp in Turkey. The camp was examined as an ethnographic case study with qualitative research methods. Data were gathered by conducting semi-structured interviews and participant observations lasting over a year. In addition, the secondary data were collected in the form of organizational and other types of documents. As a result, the study develops an inclusive social tourism management model that proposes three components: (1) sustainable financial support, (2) a strong volunteer structure, (3) an aspirational goal.

KEYWORDS:

• Social tourism
• social inclusion
• tourism management
• inclusive tourism
• ethnographic research

Acknowledgments

This study has been re-organized from the thesis of H. Akdemir (2019). Social tourism as a tool for creating an inclusive society: Examining Turkey’s Alternative Camp, Bogazici University, Istanbul, 10270591. The study is dedicated to disadvantaged people. The author is grateful to the anonymous reviewers whose critical observations and suggestions have greatly improved the study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hilal Akdemir

Hilal Akdemir graduated from the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Yeditepe University, Turkey (2015). She obtained her master’s degree in sustainable tourism management, Bogazici University, Turkey (2019). She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Algarve, Portugal.