Regional development and brand city image in tourism: A survey on Erzurum province

The aim of this study is to investigate the brand image of Erzurum among tourists within regional development context. The sub-aim of the study is to contribute to the development of marketing strategies of the city in terms of tourism and to reveal its values on the way to branding. Analyzing brand city image Erzurum will provide a basis for local and national organizations, private sector representatives and local people, working for development of tourism sector. The study is expected to contribute to the determination of the right tourism policy for the city and the development of Erzurum's brand image. It is also important in terms of showing the current status of the city on the way to branding. In addition, there is an absence of such a study for the city of Erzurum; the study will contribute to the elimination of this deficiency and will lead to future studies. Within the scope of the study, a field survey was conducted by applying face-to-face surveys to 384 tourists coming to Erzurum. Data set was analyzed using One Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann Whitney U tests and Spearman correlation coefficient. SPSS software was used in the analysis. As a result of the analysis, it was seen that the participants expressed high level of images which are thought to represent winter tourism. It was concluded that the participants spend an average of 1501-4000 TL during their stay in Erzurum. The participants stated that Erzurum has an advantage with its historical richness, food and natural beauties. Participants agree that; Erzurum is a safe, popular and clean city and the people of Erzurum are traditional, religious and honest. Compared to single participants, married participants more frequently stated that Erzurum is safe and geographic location is advantageous. Compared to married participants, single participants more frequently stated that Erzurum is boring and industry is advantageous. As the level of education and monthly income of the participants increased, positive perceptions decreased in the statements about the advantages of Erzurum, Erzurum city and the people of Erzurum. Keywords: Regional Development, Brand City, Tourism, Image, Erzurum