EVALUATION OF CAVE RESOURCES IN THE HATAY PROVINCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SPECIAL INTEREST TOURISM
EVALUATION OF CAVE RESOURCES IN THE HATAY PROVINCE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SPECIAL INTEREST TOURISM

Summary/Abstract: In today's world, where the concept of global tourism is constantly evolving, tourists are moving beyond ordinary experiences and turning to unique, learning-based, and adventure-filled travel alternatives. In this context, cave tourism, one of the types of special interest tourism, stands out as an important area that attracts both nature lovers and visitors seeking adventure. It is stated that there are approximately 40,000 caves in Turkey, but only 1,100 of them have been scientifically studied. Making caves available for tourism in a sustainable manner can provide significant economic, social, and environmental gains for the regions where they are located. This study aims to determine the tourism potential of caves located in Hatay province and to evaluate this potential using SWOT analysis. The study was conducted using a phenomenological approach within a qualitative research design; document analysis and semi-structured interview techniques were used in the data collection process. The data obtained were analyzed using content analysis methods. During the analysis of the data, themes were identified and separate categories were created for each theme. The findings were analyzed in light of the information obtained from the study. While the universe of the research consisted of caves in Hatay, nine caves (Çan, Damlataş (Sincan), Dipsiz, İncili/Büyük, Kanal, Maymunlar, Merdivenli, Saint Pierre, and Üçağızlı) were examined within the scope of the sample.

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