Youth in tourism; Perspections and tendencies of young people aged 18-25 toward tourism activities

One of the sectors contributing to the rapid globalisation of the world is tourism. Youth tourism, which has diversified in many ways, has emerged, showing a new and rapid development in tourism. The desire to discover new places, the search for excitement and adventure, independent and free spirits, and many factors such as self-knowledge increase the participation of young people in tourism activities and increase the importance of young people in tourism. The increase in the proportion of young people in the total population, the increase in the living standards of families, the entry of young people into business life in order to earn income that can meet their own needs, the support (scholarships, discounts, etc.) and activities (tourist trips, camps, etc.) of public institutions and the tendency of young people to travel and see with the effect of social media increase the importance of young people in tourism. With the increasing importance of young people in tourism, studies on youth tourism are increasing. In this study, the concepts of tourism and youth tourism were mentioned and a questionnaire was applied to 400 people aged 18-25 via Google Form in order to measure the tourism trends and perceptions of young people. The data obtained as a result of the survey were evaluated with SPSS 22 package programme. As a result of the study, it was determined that young people between the ages of 18-25 have a different understanding of touristic activities according to their personal characteristics (such as gender, age, educational status, income status) and personal needs and that they create youth tourism, which is a special type of tourism specific to their age.