An investigation of accommodation facility employees' awareness of natural and cultural values

In this thesis, the aim is to examine the awareness levels of accommodation facility employees—who are key stakeholders in the tourism sector—regarding the natural and cultural values of the destinations in which they work. Cultural heritage encompasses not only tangible elements such as monuments, historical buildings, and archaeological sites, but also intangible elements like language, traditions, belief systems, and rituals. Natural heritage, on the other hand, includes forests, mountains, lakes, national parks, flora, fauna, endemic plants, and similar natural features. In order to achieve sustainable tourism and preserve the unique identity of destinations, it is of great importance not only to adopt effective management approaches and implement appropriate legal regulations, but also to ensure that these values are recognized and protected by both the local community and tourism sector employees. In this research, the knowledge levels, attitudes, and approaches of accommodation facility employees towards the protection of natural and cultural heritage were analyzed. The study adopted a quantitative research method, and the data obtained through the survey technique were evaluated statistically. The effects of demographic characteristics such as age, education level, length of service, and position of the employees on their awareness levels were also examined. The findings indicate that, in general, employees display a positive attitude towards natural and cultural values; however, their knowledge levels and awareness of conservation are insufficient in certain areas. The research was conducted in the tourism areas of Manavgat, Alanya, Belek, Kundu, Kemer, and the city center of Antalya. Designed with a quantitative research approach, the study surveyed 387 people. Analyses employed the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. The analyses revealed that knowledge and visitation levels related to natural and cultural heritage varied significantly across all demographic variables except gender, and that strong relationships existed between the variables.