Evaluation of Malatya cultural tourism potential and Arslantepe Mound by public tourism institutions

Turkey is a very rich country in terms of cultural tourism potential. Malatya province is also one of the attractive tourism destinations that stands out with its cultural tourism. It is important to evaluate the province of Malatya within the framework of cultural tourism, which has an important place among tourism types. The main purpose of this research is to examine the cultural tourism potential of Malatya province and Arslantepe Mound from the perspective of public tourism employees. In line with this goal, qualitative research method was used in the study and interview technique was preferred for data collection. In this context, a semi-structured interview form consisting of 12 questions was used. Interview forms were directed to tourism employees serving in the public sector in Malatya. The interviews were held face to face between December 2022 and May 2023. The data obtained was analyzed with the MAXQDA qualitative data analysis program. In the light of the data obtained, a total of 12 main themes, 51 sub-themes and 97 codes were created. Based on the data obtained during the research, it was concluded that the cultural tourism potential of Malatya province is high. It has been concluded that the promotions regarding cultural tourism activities in Malatya are not effective and the tourism infrastructure is inadequate under current conditions. In addition, based on the participants' statements, it was predicted that if the deficiencies were eliminated, it would contribute to Malatya being at the forefront in the field of cultural tourism with its values. Finally, various suggestions are presented according to the study results.