A comparative analysis of international customers in tourism industry based on destinations: Research in Alanya, Kundu, Belek and Side

Antalya is one of the most important tourism centers of Turkey and attracts approximately 35% of tourists coming to Turkey. This study was carried out in Kundu, Belek, Side and Alanya destinations located to the east of Antalya. About 70% of tourists who visit Antalya stay in these four destinations and visit historical, natural and cultural beauties. To become a major brand in the world tourism market, ensure the sustainability of tourist attractiveness and strenghten destinations, analyzing customers' expectations, perceptions, satisfaction, and loyalty reveals the importance of this study. In this study, data about foreign tourists staying in ministry certified five-star hotels in these destinations obtained and then a comparative customer analysis is aimed. In this regard, by a questionnaire prepared, questions about the travels demographic and psychographic characteristics of tourists were asked to respond. In addition, which factors have been effective when choosing type accomodation, destination and hotel; customer satisfaction, loyalty and brand awareness, expectations and perceptions for hotel assets (physical facilities, services and personel) has sought to respond. Within this study, the planned number of questionnaires is determined by the ratio of total number of beds in ministry certified five star hotels operating in each destination with a stratified random sampling method. Accordingly, with a total of 1.180 people were made questionnaire and 1.030 of them were analyzed. For analysis of the data obtained SPSS 17 for Windows is applied. At this stage, frequency and cross tabulations, paired samples t test, multiple regression, variance (ANOVA) and multi-factor variance (MANOVA) were used in the analysis. As a result of the analysis, foreign tourists is said that peace-confidence is the most effective while choosing destination, and hotel and sea-sand-sun and other natural beauty is the most effective while choosing type of accommodation. Tourists stayed in Side, Belek and Alanya expressed that they mostly were happy to have holiday in Turkey. Tourists stayed in Kundu said that they mostly were happy have holiday in Kundu. According to the results of multiple regression analysis, hotel assets (physical facilities, services and personnel) have a positive effect by 44% on customer satisfaction. Moreover, in the context of destinations and accommodation types, significant differences were observed in the levels of expectations and perceptions of tourists.