Analyzing the Relationships among the Spatial Characteristics of Cultural Structure, Activities, And the Tourism Demand

Abstract

This paper presents the preliminary findings for a research project on the cultural assets and the number of tourist arrivals in Turkey. The primary aim of the study is to elicit the spatial cluster patterns of the two variables. In line with this purpose, a database was prepared including 81 provinces of the country. The data were provided from official databases. The data on the cultural assets was gathered from the Turkish Statistical Institute and the data related to the tourist arrivals was provided from the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This study applies Getis-Ord G Analysis to ascertain the spatial patterns of the cultural assets and the number of tourist arrivals. The findings of the study highlights that both the cultural assets and the number of tourist arrivals follow the similar spatial patterns in terms of geographical clustering. The economic capital, accompanying social capital, accumulated in a certain centers creates a disadvantages for the periphery ones. In order to achieve to allocate the number of tourist arrivals, correspondingly the potential tourism revenues, the spatial analysis enables to see the potential tourism policies to leverage tourism, particularly the destinations identified as the disadvantaged spatially.