The effect of soundscape and travel motivation on the mood of tourists: An application in recreation areas of Eskişehir

The purpose of this study is to reveal the effects of the soundscape and travel motivation of two major recreational areas of an urban tourism destination in Turkey on the mood of tourists. For this purpose, 15-minute walking routes were created in the Sazova Science, Culture, and Art Park and the Adalar locality in Eskişehir. During the sound walks on these routes, sound pressure measurements and recordings of the soundscape were made. In addition, a personal questionnaire was administered to a total of 794 tourists simultaneously with the sound walks. The questionnaire was used to determine how the soundscape affects the mood of tourists, how tourists' demographic characteristics and travel motivation affect their perception of the sounds, and which sounds in the soundscape are perceived more strongly by tourists. As a result of the measurements, it was determined that the sound pressure level in the study areas is at a level that is considered unpleasant and disturbing according to the Guide for the Measurement and Evaluation of Environmental Noise. It was found that the background noise in both study areas tended to evoke positive moods among tourists. It was found that those who visit Sazova Science, Culture and Art Park mainly hear "natural sounds", while those who visit Adalar locality mainly hear "sounds and society". It was found that the mood of tourists due to the soundscape differs depending on some demographic variables. In the analyses conducted to examine whether the dimensions of travel motivation, sound decibel level, and types of sounds have an impact on the mood of tourists to the study areas, statistically significant results were obtained for both study areas. In addition, an attempt was made to explain the reasons for individual differences in the perception of the soundscape within the framework of Gestalt theory. It is known that the soundscape has an influence on the general satisfaction of tourists. From this point of view, this thesis proposes that the soundscape of recreation areas should be kept under control and well designed to ensure the satisfaction of tourists.