Kahramanmaraş Depremi Sonrası Yabancı Turistlerin Rize Destinasyonuna Yönelik Risk Algısı ve Yeniden Ziyaret Etme Niyeti (Risk Perception and Intention to Revisit After the Kahramanmaraş Earthquake)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63556/jotags.2026.1914Keywords:
Post-disaster tourism, Risk perception, Kahramanmaraş earthquake, Intention to revisit, PhenomenologyAbstract
One of the most important factors that tourists consider in their travel preferences is safety. In this context, it is crucial for destinations to understand tourists' perceptions regarding various risks in order to make the destination more attractive to them. The main purpose of this study is to gain an in-depth understanding of the earthquake risk perception—and its reflection on revisit intention—among foreign tourists who had previously visited the Rize destination, which is located far from the earthquake zone, following the earthquake that occurred on February 6, 2023, centered in Kahramanmaraş (Türkiye) and felt in 11 provinces. The theoretical framework of this study is based on risk perception theory. A qualitative research approach and a phenomenological design were adopted to explore participants' lived experiences of risk perception following the disaster. The study group consisted of foreign tourists who visited Rize. Snowball and criterion sampling methods were used in the study. A descriptive analysis approach was adopted in the analysis of the study data. The majority of the tourists participating in the study perceive Rize as a safe destination in terms of earthquakes and make their travel decisions without conducting preliminary research on natural disaster risks. All participants stated that they intended to revisit Rize, and the rapid normalization process after the disaster was found to be influential in this decision. The findings largely support risk perception theory, indicating that perceived risk was shaped more by subjective and emotional interpretation than by objective probability.
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