A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION INTO THE MAIN PROBLEMS OF YACHT AND MARINA OPERATORS IN TURKEY
Özet
Yacht and marina tourism is of great importance for countries with sea coastlines in terms of economic, social and environmental factors. However, there continue to be some problems awaiting solution. Turkiye is one of the rare countries surrounded by sea on three sides. It has a coastline longer than its terrestrial border. However, the benefits obtained from sea tourism are not at the desired level. There are some problems here, as in other countries. The important thing is to identify the problems and which institution or organization will solve them.The aim of this investigation is to determine the current problems faced by yacht and marina operators in Turkey. In the study, the exploratory interview technique was used. To formulate the interview questions, internal, environmental, integrated, and social variables were determined by scanning the literature on the problems of yacht and marina enterprises. Face-to-face interviews were held with 33 senior marina managers certified by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Turkey. According to the results of the research, the main problems faced by yacht and marina businesses are grouped under five headings: problems related to layout and environmental issues, decisions taken by the state or local governments, personnel, environmental factors and rival businesses, and yacht/boat owners and boat captains. In addition, it was determined that while yacht and marina businesses operating in the Aegean and Marmara regions have similar problems, businesses in the Mediterranean region have different problems.This study is limited to Turkiye yacht and marina tourism. However, research shows that similar problems exist in other Mediterranean countries.