Influence of politics and media in the perceptions of Turkey as a tourism destination

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to help to understand the influence of the media and political issues in the perceptions of Turkey as a tourism destination. The study is conducted from the perspective of Spanish people. Design/methodology/approach - The research is based on the responses provided to a web survey. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlations. Findings - The views of the Spanish people on the Turkish political situation were not found to be related to the perceptions of the destination, except for those regarding Turkey's candidacy to the European Union. However, an indirect relationship between the political views and the perceptions of the destination through the influence of the former on the image of the host community is proposed. Television and the written press are determined as the most significant information sources, other than word of mouth and experience. Research limitations/implications - The research points to the fact that political views regarding the country may not affect the perceptions regarding that destination. However, certain political issues seem to have a greater effect on the perceptions of the destination. Therefore, for conclusive evidence a more extensive investigation is required. Practical implications - The difference between the destination's image and the political views of the country is of practical interest to developing countries, which are dependent on tourism, but generally suffer from political instability and image problems. Originality/value - The dichotomy between different perceptions regarding a country is investigated. Moreover, the importance of the media in creating perceptions of a destination is analyzed.