Fairytale-tourism relationship in the context of German fairytale road and analysis of its applicability in Turkey

Folktales, with their rich and captivating content, have been capturing the interest of diverse age groups since the dawn of humanity. Passed down orally from generation to generation, these tales have become a collective product of the people, with the original authors often forgotten. In the transmission of cultural heritage to future generations, folktales play a significant role. In recent times, numerous countries have undertaken serious efforts to preserve and utilize folktales as a tourist attraction. Particularly in Germany, following in the footsteps of the Grimm Brothers, known as collectors of German folktales, fairy tale parks, festivals, towns, villages, and hotels have been established, attracting tourists from around the world. This study aims to elucidate the connection between folktales and tourism, drawing inspiration from Anatolian culture and utilizing examples from Germany, to propose recommendations for the creation of folk tale-focused sustainable tourist destinations in Turkey. Employing the qualitative research method of document analysis, various written documents were meticulously examined. An analysis was conducted on the historical development of the literary genre of folktales in Europe and Turkey, exploring what constitutes a folktale and its cultural origins. Based on the acquired information, recommendations are presented for sustainable folk tale tourism destinations in Turkey, along with suggested tourist activities for implementation in these destinations.