The perceptions of local people about tourism development: The example of Mardin Syriac community

The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of the local people towards tourism development in the destinations where the tourism movement develops and intensifies. In this context, the research has examined the effects of tourism on the local people through “Assyrians”, one of the important ethnic communities in Mardin which has a rich heritage in terms of ethnic and religious. Factors such as that Anatolia is a community with an old and different ethnic and religious identity, there are not enough tourism-oriented studies about them, and they are about to be forgetten have been effective in the selection of the Syriac community. In determining and limiting Mardin as the research area of the thesis; that Mardin is a province where tourism activities take place intensively, that the Assyrian people continue their lives in and around Mardin, and that both Syriac Ancient Churches are in Mardin have been decisive. The population of the research is the Assyrian community residing within the borders of Mardin province. The thesis is a field research and is based on a mixed structure using quantitative and qualitative methods. The data of the field study were collected through face-to-face interviews and direct observation of the researcher by using the questionnaire technique. As a result of the research, it has been seen that Assyrians are generally satisfied with the tourism development in Mardin; It has been seen that they have high levels of positive perceptions about the economic, socio-cultural and environmental effects of tourism. In addition, it has been seen that tourism provides positive contribution to the Syriac community living in Mardin, especially in economic terms.