Aşırı Turizmin Turist Rehberleri Açısından Değerlendirilmesi: Yedigöller Milli Parkı Örneği (Evaluation of Overtourism from the Perspective of Tourist Guides: The Case of Yedigöller National Park)

Abstract

The primary objective of this study is to examine the phenomenon of overtourism in Yedigöller National Park, particularly during the autumn season, and its impacts on tour operations and visitor experience from the perspective of professional tourist guides. Adopting a case study design, one of the qualitative research methods, the data were collected through field observations, visual documentation, and semi-structured interviews conducted with 13 tourist guides who actively organize tours to the region. The gathered data were analyzed using the content analysis technique. Research findings reveal that the physical and social carrying capacities of the destination have been exceeded; traffic congestion, parking crises, and inadequacies in communication infrastructure have transformed tour programs into unmanageable crises. An analysis of the participants' responses and the metaphors employed indicates that the quality of the recreational experience has degraded, and visitor perception is shaped around stress and frustration rather than satisfaction. Furthermore, it was determined that the overcapacity on the access roads to the national park hinders emergency interventions, leading to a critical security vulnerability.