Local stakeholders' perspective on Enez's potential to join the Cittaslow network

In particular, the interest in metropolises in the late 20th century, the decline of small towns, and the increasing culture of consumption have encouraged the model of "slow" sustainable development. The slow city movement began in Italy in 1999 and has now spread worldwide. A slow city is a network of towns based on the philosophy of slowness, initiated against the negative effects of globalization, such as cities resembling each other, standardization of products, and environmental pollution. These slow cities found in many parts of the world have also become prevalent in our country, starting with the inclusion of Seferihisar in the network in 2009. The slow city movement has served as a good roadmap for our cities to become sustainable destinations. However, for the movement to be effectively implemented, spread, and sustained, local governments and local stakeholders play a significant role. Based on this, the main aim of the study is to determine the perspectives of local stakeholders on the potential of Enez to join the slow city network, a town yet to be part of the slow city network. Another important goal of the study is to draw attention to the potential of another district in our country to join this network and raise awareness. The study was conducted based on qualitative research. Within the scope of the study, the "semi-structured interview technique" was used, utilizing purposive sampling to provide data for the study, and in-depth interviews were conducted with various professional groups who could offer different experiences and perspectives on the slow city network. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and via Zoom between 2022 and 2024. A total of 24 participants were asked a series of questions measuring their perceptions of Enez's potential to join the slow city network. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using thematic analysis via MAXQDA 2024, a program that allows for qualitative data analysis. The main themes related to the research problem were identified based on the responses of local stakeholders, and then the coding was performed. The findings indicate that a large portion of local stakeholders in Enez had previously heard of the concept of a slow city and were knowledgeable about it, which is quite important in terms of the study's quality. According to the study's results, local stakeholders believe that if Enez becomes a slow city, it could provide advantages in many areas, such as alternative tourism, increasing the town's visibility, improving infrastructure and superstructure, and sustainable development. It was concluded that participants believed becoming a slow city would provide more advantages than disadvantages and would contribute to the local people and businesses. The study's results shed light on the main aim, showing that the vast majority of local stakeholders believe Enez has the potential to become a slow city.