B2B and B2C trends in online marketing in Sultanahmet tourism

The development and widespread use of technology and internet tools have also affected the tourism sector. Businesses in the tourism sector have started to use digital marketing tools, which have increased their effectiveness recently. The use of social media in tourism businesses has increased, sales channels have become more electronic and the importance of two-way communication between customers and businesses on digital platforms has increased. In this context, it is important to determine how effectively the accommodation businesses use digital marketing tools and what tendency they have in this regard. The aim of this study is to determine the trend of B2B and B2C marketing and sales activities of accommodation businesses in the Sultanahmet region, which has adopted digital marketing and is in a very important position. It is thought that this trend depends on consumer preferences, as well as on the competence and preferences of the tourism business in the digital field. In this context, data were obtained by applying a questionnaire to 30 accommodation businesses in the Sultanahmet region, and the B2B and B2C tendencies of these businesses, which is also the research question of this study, were determined. The study, in which demographic data were also collected, has a qualitative research feature. The main finding obtained from the study is that accommodation establishments (63.3%) in the Sultanahmet region tend to prefer B2C reservation and marketing type. It has also been determined that these businesses use social media and digital marketing tools effectively. It has been observed that B2B and B2C reservations are mostly received during the summer period. In B2B type, the most bookings came from England, while in B2C type, this situation differed with the prominence of Russia and European countries.