Diaspora tourism: A sociological research on Yazidis visiting Batman

The main purpose of this study is to reveal why Yazidi individuals who migrated from their homeland due to social, economic and political reasons came to Batman in the context of diaspora tourism and what the factors that caused them to do so. There are different sociological studies on Yazidis in the literature. However, the fact that no study on Yazidis in the context of diaspora tourism has been encountered is important in terms of the contribution this study will provide to the literature. In this direction, being able to see the effect of Yazidi culture on tourism and contributing to the literature are among the other aims of the study. This thesis study was designed on the phenomenology research design and the qualitative method was used. Data were obtained by conducting in-depth interviews between January and May 2024 using a semi-structured interview form based on the studies in the literature. A total of 15 participants were interviewed within the scope of the research. The obtained data were subjected to content analysis. Four themes emerged: migration and identity, immigration, homeland and meaning, and diaspora tourism. In the word cloud created according to their frequency levels, the concepts of migration, immigrant, longing, obligation, diaspora, economy, and homeland came to the fore. The lack of research on Yazidis in the context of diaspora tourism increases the importance of this study. In summary, understanding the desires, expectations, and needs of Yazidis and thus being able to empathize with them is important both in terms of contributing to Batman tourism and Batman's intangible cultural heritage, and in terms of creating awareness about Yazidis.