The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer behaviors in tourism sector: Cappadocia region example

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of changing consumer behaviors on tourism after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to analyze whether the safe tourism certificate has an effect on consumers after the pandemic. The universe of the research consists of the managers working in the hotels in the Cappadocia region and the customers staying in the hotels. Due to this epidemic that spread rapidly around the world, many sectors have been damaged. It is important to examine the attitudes of consumers in the tourism sector, which is one of these sectors, and the measures taken by hotel managers. In addition, the effects of the measures taken by the governments of the countries on the consumers and after the rapid increase in the number of cases, the applications in tourism are also significantly affected by this change. The "Safe Tourism Certificate" was created as a result of the work carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism with the Ministry of Health in order to protect consumers from the epidemic and to give confidence to consumers. The effect of businesses with this certification on consumers has been the starting point of the research. In order for tourism businesses to satisfy their customers and maintain their competitive advantage over their competitors, they need to focus on methods that will increase the job satisfaction and motivation of their employees.Hygiene quality, which is one of the important factors that ensure customer satisfaction in the tourism sector, depends on the cleanliness of the room and hotel. The Safe Health Certificate will help customers feel safer and stay in a more hygienic environment in terms of providing better service to businesses. In this context, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the managers working in the hotels in the Cappadocia region or the hotel business owners and the customers staying at the hotel. Within the scope of the research, two separate interview forms were prepared for expert hotel managers or hotel business owners and consumers staying at the hotel. In this context, interviews were conducted with 30 participants, 15 of them to hotel managers or hotel business owners and 15 of consumers staying in hotels, about the effect of the effect on consumer behavior in tourism during the pandemic period, and their opinions on the subject were obtained.As a result of the research, it has been observed that the safe tourism certificate has positive effects as the hotels adapt to the measures taken in the COVID-19 pandemic and the consumers continue their habits that come with the pandemic. The participants suggested that the problem areas in the application should be explored and the inspections should be done more frequently for the Safe Tourism Certificate.