The effect of global climate changes anxiety and eco-anxiety on individuals' choice touristic destination: A study towards Antalya province center destination

Climate change, one of the most important global issues of the 21st century, is triggered by various factors, including astronomical and geological natural factors, as well as anthropogenic aerosols, greenhouse gases, and changes in land use. This situation has various negative consequences on ecological, sociological, and economic structures in a global context. This situation deeply affects individual and societal fear, leading to climate change anxiety, which involves high levels of concern among individuals, as well as eco-anxiety regarding the threat to ecological life and the continuation of their lives and future generations. This situation develops more rapidly among children, adolescents, and individuals aged 50 and over, who constitute the most vulnerable segments of society. Although climate change anxiety and eco-anxiety are considered similar concepts, they exhibit certain differences from a physiological and psychological perspective. However, within the scope of climate characteristics, psychological conditions such as climate change anxiety and eco-anxiety emerge as significant factors influencing individuals' preferences and demand for tourist destinations. In this study, the impact of global climate change anxiety and eco-anxiety on individuals' preferences for tourist destinations was examined specifically in the central city of Antalya. The analysis of the data obtained from the research was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 26.00, AMOS 24, MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2022, Stata programs, and GIS (Geographic Information Systems). The findings obtained from the analysis results show that demographic characteristics are an effective factor on climate change concerns and eco-anxiety, and at the same time, they play a role in determining destination preferences. In addition, in the context of the main objective and question of the study, it is seen that the levels of climate change concerns and eco-anxiety are effective on individuals' destination preferences. All six hypotheses tested in the study were accepted. The findings and results obtained from the research data were interpreted in comparison with similar studies in the literature, and recommendations were made. Key Words: Climate Change Anxiety in Tourism, Destination Selection, Eco-Anxiety,