The effect of Göbeklitepe archaeological excavation site on the development of tourism demand for the region: An assessment from the tourist guides' perspective

This study aims to evaluate the impact of the Göbeklitepe archaeological excavation site on the tourism demand for the South-eastern Anatolia Region, especially Şanlıurfa, from the perspective of tourist guides. For the research, semi-structured interviews were held from October 2021 to February 2023 with 12 tourist guides who participated in the Göbeklitepe tours. The interview form used in the research consisting of 16 questions, was constructed due to a comprehensive literature review. The data gathered from the interviews were analyzed with open and latent content coding, and four themes and 15 codes were determined. Then, the data set was transferred to the Maxqda qualitative data analysis program, and the relevant expressions and sentences in the text were assigned to the codes. In the ongoing process, the researcher examined the data set in-depth and made some comments. As a result, it has been determined that the Göbeklitepe archaeological excavation site is a significant value to the region and is considered one of the main factors in increasing the demand for the region. It has also been determined that the importance of Göbeklitepe will increase with the ongoing excavations in areas such as Karahantepe and Boncuktepe in the region. Furthermore, it is revealed that the obscurity of Göbeklitepe and the fact that it is seen as spiritual energy land come to the fore as the main factor in creating demand. It is assumed that the research results will benefit the relevant literature, public sector stakeholders, and tourist guides in the context of demand analysis and enhancing demand continuity. Keywords: Göbeklitepe, Demand, Demand Analysis, Promotion, Tourist Guidance.