Human resource practices in yacht harbors and marinas in Turkey

Turkey is a rare country in the world, with its borders mostly being surrounded by seas. However, it seems that the contribution of such a geographical feature of Turkey to the economy is insufficient when compared with other examples in the world. On the other hand, the majority of the income from marine tourism in Turkey consists of revenues from yacht harbors and marina business. Likewise, the share of marine tourism in total tourism revenues has been increasing rapidly in recent years. The interest in the yacht harbor and marina business and the investment in this area have increased significantly in recent years. Until 50 years ago, there was no marina in Turkey that could properly meet the accommodation and berthing needs of yachts on its shores, now it is seen that there are more than 80 marinas and yacht mooring facilities, most of which comply with international standards. It is possible to consider that yacht harbor and marina management, which is developing rapidly both in terms of quantity and quality, can become a sector that makes a high contribution to the Turkish economy in the field of tourism, thanks to the improvements and developments to be made by examining all aspects. Accordingly, it is argued that the personnel employed at these facilities should be improved in the right direction in terms of quality and competence in order to carry the yacht harbor and marina management to higher levels. This research will examine how the current Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and especially Human Resource Planning (HRP) methods can be applied and developed in yacht harbor and marina businesses. The problem areas in terms of HRM and answers for the solution of such problems will be identified and applied to the yacht harbor and marina businesses, which operate according to the certification of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, through the semi-structured interview technique. It is aimed to contribute to the development of yacht harbor and marina businesses in Turkey through the assessments to be made regarding the HRM in light of the findings.