Kurtulus Karamustafa

IMPACT OF AN ECONOMIC CRISIS Evidence from Turkey

Abstract This paper evaluates the impact of the 2001 economic crisis on the tourism industry in Turkey. The research findings reveal that neither the government nor private organizations had any plans for dealing with the crisis before or after the event. It had both negative and positive impacts although its benefits were often overlooked. The overall implication of the study is that national culture, the level of economic development of a country, the availability of financial resources, and the ability and knowledge of its government officials and managers of private firms have a direct impact on how such an event is responded to and managed.

Cooperative marketing in the accommodation subsector: Southeastern Mediterranean perspectives

This article examines the concept of cooperative marketing and reviews the wider range of elements that constitute cooperative marketing. Subsequently, the article considers its potential for small- and medium-sized hotels (SMHs) in Cyprus, Greece, and Turkey, and suggests strategies that might stimulate such cooperation. Finally, the article concludes with the implications of cooperative marketing for tourism destinations in general. It is expected that this analysis will help to explore the possibilities of cooperative marketing in the hotel subsector within the limits of the local economies, as well as offering lessons for other countries in the Mediterranean region.

Measuring the seasonality in tourism with the comparison of different methods

Purpose – Most of the European Mediterranean countries are suffering from seasonality and the problems caused by it. By applying different methods, this study proposes to measure seasonality in a Mediterranean country, Turkey. Studying seasonality and its measurement with the comparison of different methods could first provide useful guidelines for the countries, which may have similar problems, and could also broaden the current view in the related literature since the focus is also on the comparison of the widely used methods in the literature.Design/methodology/approach – The study depends on the current literature and makes evaluations based on the secondary data acquired from the statistical publications of The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.Findings – The findings reveal that none of the methods is superior to any other. They complement the weaknesses of one another. Therefore, it is suggested that destinations, when measuring their seasonality, should evaluate seasonality by applying diffe...

Career paths of hotel general managers in Turkey

ABSTRACT This article investigates the career paths of hotel general managers (HGMs) in a developing country, namely Turkey. Based on an in-depth literature review, a questionnaire was developed and data were collected from 168 HGMs in Turkey. Compared to previous studies, this study found a higher percentage of female HGMs working in hotels. According to the research findings, almost half of the respondents received formal education in hospitality and tourism. The participating respondents most frequently reached the HGM position through working in the front office department and the food and beverage department. Honesty, interpersonal skills, and loyalty were found to be the top three characteristics that helped the participants become HGMs. In terms of required skills, communication, human relations, taking initiatives, and the ability to formulate plans were the top four skills for the participants in their career development. Finally, learning a foreign language, having a college degree, and developing long-term career goals were the top three personal development strategies. This is one of the first studies investigating HGMs career paths in a developing country and it offers specific theoretical and practical implications on this important topic.