The mediating role of visitor satisfaction in the effect of crime and security perception on revisit and recommendation intentions: The case of Şırnak province

Security is an increasingly important issue in today's world. Tourism is a very risky sector. Many factors such as globalization, political and economic problems, terrorism, war and natural disasters significantly affect the tourism sector. Security perception has a great importance in tourists' travel preferences. Whether a region is safe or not is an important factor determining tourists' desire to visit that region. Şırnak, located in the South Eastern Anatolia Region, is a province that has been struggling with terrorism problems for years. Although Şırnak has great touristic potential with its natural and cultural values, it has been overshadowed by terrorism for years and this potential has not been utilized. In recent years, as the region has been cleared of terrorist activities, tourism has also revived and Şırnak has started to attract many visitors from outside. Therefore, this study aims to examine the impact of crime and security perceptions of visitors to Şırnak on visitor behaviour such as satisfaction, revisit and recommendation intention. The research was carried out with a quantitative research method and a survey data collection technique was used. In this context, 402 visitors who visited Şırnak were reached between 1 March and 23 April 2024 using the simple random sampling method. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 29 statistical programs. Descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, correlation analysis, explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyze the data. As a result of the research, it was revealed that visitors' crime and security perceptions towards Şırnak had a significant and positive effect on their satisfaction, revisit and recommendation intentions. The study also concluded that visitor satisfaction has a partial mediator role in the effect of crime and security perception on revisit and recommendation intentions. Keywords: Security, Tourism and Security Perception, Visitor Satisfaction, Intention to Revisit, Intention to Recommend.