Tourist guiding holds a critical role within the tourism industry and requires a specific process of education and specialization. Understanding the professional perceptions of candidates who directly experience this process is of great importance for both measuring the quality of education and developing comprehensive strategies for the future of the sector. This study aims to comparatively analyze the educational and professional perceptions of associate degree tourist guiding students through demographic variables such as university type, gender, and grade level. In the research designed with a qualitative approach, interviews were conducted with 28 students, and the obtained data were subjected to content analysis by being examined in depth using MAXQDA software. During the analysis process, 1 main theme, 5 sub-themes, and 25 codes were developed. The findings indicate that the code 'Duration and Ease of Education,' which has the highest frequency in the research, is perceived by students as a practical advantage offering a quick entry into the profession. In this regard, since entering the profession is possible with an associate degree, it is understood that students' motivations for transitioning to undergraduate education are based on entirely personal academic goals rather than a professional necessity. This study holds a unique position in the literature by addressing the perceptions of associate degree tourist guiding students comparatively within the focus of demographic differences. In line with the findings obtained, academic and sector-oriented suggestions are presented for four different stakeholder groups: higher education institutions, sector representatives, students, and researchers.

Urban flood risk has become increasingly visible and destructive due to the impacts of climate change, rapid urbanization, and growing development pressure on river corridors. This study examines the spatial distribution of flood risk along the İluh Stream, which flows through the city center of Batman, and evaluates the relationship between the existing settlement pattern and flood hazards. The research is based on flood impact maps, historical data from the devastating 2006 flood event, recent satellite imagery, and institutional planning documents. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based spatial overlay analysis was conducted to scientifically evaluate the intersection between flood-prone areas and the urban fabric. The spatial findings reveal that flood risk follows a linear pattern along the stream corridor and becomes heavily concentrated in areas close to the stream bed. Crucially, the analysis indicates a significant mismatch between the scientific flood-prone zones and the official "flood zone borders" designated by authorities; numerous structures physically exposed to floods remain outside normative administrative boundaries due to property-oriented planning constraints. On the other hand, corporate decisions declaring certain areas as disaster-prone in 2007 and the designation of a 0.80-hectare reserve development area in Karşıyaka Neighborhood demonstrate that flood risk has begun to be addressed within urban transformation policies. However, compared to the thousands of buildings affected across 11 neighborhoods in 2006, this current reserve area reflects a fragmented, point-based evacuation strategy that remains spatially insufficient. Ultimately, the study highlights the failure of structural measures alone and emphasizes the vital role of holistic spatial planning tools and updated GIS modeling in mitigating urban flood risks.

This study examines the impact of an interdisciplinary scientific training program conducted within the framework of the TUBİTAK 2237-A Scientific Education Activities on the development of interdisciplinary approaches and personal/academic competencies among geography students. The research was designed using a mixed-methods approach, employing a pre-test–post-test model for quantitative data and semi-structured interviews for qualitative data. Quantitative findings reveal statistically significant improvements with very large effect sizes in both interdisciplinary conceptual awareness and thinking skills (KFDD: d = 2.05) and self-evaluated personal and academic competencies (KGÖD: d = 2.42), indicating that the program enhanced not only cognitive outcomes but also students' academic self-efficacy and interdisciplinary working capacity. Qualitative findings further support these results by demonstrating increased interdisciplinary awareness, the effectiveness of field-based learning, enhanced academic confidence, and clearer future academic and professional orientations. Overall, the study provides strong empirical evidence that scientific training programs integrating theoretical instruction, field-based applications, and interdisciplinary expert interaction produce high-impact learning outcomes, and suggests that such short-term, intensive, field-based programs should be more systematically incorporated into geography curricula at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The aim of this research is to determine the metaphorical perceptions of tourism guiding students regarding the concept of a museum. For this purpose, tourism guiding students were asked to generate metaphors related to the concept of a museum. The study group consisted of 183 students from all classes in the Tourism Guiding Department of the Faculty of Tourism at Balıkesir University. Adopting a qualitative research approach, a phenomenological design was chosen for the study. A semi-structured questionnaire was created and used as a data collection tool. The questionnaire included demographic questions as well as an open-ended question. In the data collection phase, students responded to the statement, “In my opinion, a museum is like ………………. Because………………” and thus data was obtained. Analyses were carried out with 183 questionnaires. The obtained metaphors were categorized considering their justifications and common characteristics. The metaphors were: The metaphors are categorized into eight groups: “Metaphors Related to Communication”, “Metaphors Related to Preservation and Storage”, “Metaphors Related to Culture and Art”, “Metaphors Related to Education”, “Metaphors Related to Nature”, “Metaphors Related to History”, “Metaphors Related to Collecting and Accumulation”, and “Metaphors Related to Placement”. Frequency and percentage values for the metaphors show that the most frequently developed metaphor is “history”. “History” is followed by “school”, “mirror”, and “time machine” metaphors. Based on the research findings, it can be stated that the functions of museums are emphasized within the context of the categories. This supports the view that students have knowledge of the basic roles and functions of museums. Suggestions for future research are presented based on the results obtained from the research data.

Tourism, being a labor-intensive sector where human relations are crucial to service quality, directly impacts business success through the attitudes and behaviors of its employees. The relationship between employees' perceptions of corporate prestige and their job satisfaction levels has become a significant research topic in the organizational behavior literature, particularly in service-producing sectors. Given this importance, this research aims to examine the impact of corporate prestige perceptions on job satisfaction among tourism sector employees and to determine whether corporate prestige perceptions differ significantly based on demographic characteristics. Face-to-face surveys were conducted with participants working in tourism businesses in Istanbul, and 397 of these surveys were selected for analysis. Data obtained from the surveys were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The findings revealed a positive and highly significant correlation between employees' perceptions of corporate prestige and their job satisfaction levels. The regression analysis results revealed that the perception of corporate prestige has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. Furthermore, while employees' perceptions of corporate prestige showed significant differences according to gender, education level, status, work experience, and income level; no significant difference was found according to marital status and age variables. Based on these findings, it is emphasized that strengthening employees' perceptions of corporate prestige in tourism businesses can increase their job satisfaction levels, and recommendations are presented to the tourism sector and tourism academics.

This study investigates long-term temperature and precipitation trends in Safranbolu, Türkiye (1923–2023), using CRU TS gridded data. Minimum (Tmin), mean (Tmean), and maximum (Tmax) temperatures and total precipitation were evaluated using the Mann–Kendall test, Sen’s slope estimator, linear regression, and the Pettitt test. Additionally, anomalous years were identified using empirical 10th and 90th percentiles. Annual temperatures exhibited statistically significant warming (p < 0.001), led by Tmin (0.015 °C yr⁻¹), followed by Tmean (0.014 °C yr⁻¹) and Tmax (0.012 °C yr⁻¹). Structural breaks indicated regime shifts toward warmer conditions, occurring in 1993 for Tmin and 1997 for Tmean and Tmax. Seasonally, Tmin showed the strongest warming in winter (0.020 °C yr⁻¹) and summer (0.019 °C yr⁻¹), whereas autumn Tmean and Tmax trends were non-significant. Annual precipitation exhibited a weak increasing trend (1.1 mm yr⁻¹; p = 0.002) with a structural break in 1957. Seasonal precipitation increased significantly only in spring (0.479 mm yr⁻¹) and summer (0.567 mm yr⁻¹). Percentile-based analyses revealed an increased frequency of warm anomalies after the 1990s and an observed clustering of anomalously warm years after 2000, particularly for Tmin. Anomalously wet years also became more frequent in recent decades, although precipitation variability remained high. These results highlight intensified night-time warming and substantial changes in the temporal distribution of temperature anomalies in the interior Western Black Sea Region.

The rapid growth in motorised vehicle use has intensified urban environmental challenges, reinforcing societal interest in sustainable mobility alternatives and elevating the academic and practical significance of customer loyalty in public transit services. This study examines how bus passengers' environmental benefit perception and safety perception influence customer loyalty, with perceived value serving as the central mediating mechanism within an integrated structural model. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed, and data were collected from 236 participants via a structured, self-administered questionnaire using convenience sampling. The measurement model was evaluated through Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and the hypothesised structural relationships were tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), complemented by bootstrap-based mediation analyses with 5,000 resamples. The results reveal a clear divergence between the two antecedents. Environmental benefit perception affects customer loyalty solely through perceived value, indicating a full mediation, whereas safety perception exerts both a direct effect and an indirect effect via perceived value, reflecting a partial mediation. The proposed model accounts for 81% of the variance in passenger loyalty, underscoring the pivotal position of perceived value in the loyalty-formation process. These findings clarify the distinct mechanisms through which environmental and safety perceptions translate into loyalty and offer actionable recommendations for public transit managers and policymakers regarding the strategic role of environmental sustainability and safety investment in cultivating long-term passenger loyalty and encouraging a sustainable modal shift towards public transport.

Overtourism has emerged as a result of growing concerns regarding the rapid spread of unsustainable mass tourism activities and the negative impact these activities have on the use of urban, rural, and coastal areas for tourism purposes. This study aims to reveal the developmental dynamics, thematic structure, and conceptual evolution of the academic literature on the concept of overtourism. In the study, English-language articles published in the Web of Science database between 2017 and 2025 that included the keyword “overtourism” were analyzed using bibliometric methods. A total of 533 articles included in the analysis were evaluated using the Bibliometrix package and the Biblioshiny interface, both based on the R programming language. The findings indicate that the overtourism literature has experienced a high growth trajectory in recent years, with academic interest notably increasing, particularly after 2020. The most productive journals include Sustainability, the Journal of Sustainable Tourism, and Current Issues in Tourism, while Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom stand out as the countries contributing most significantly to the literature. Keyword analyses reveal strong associations with concepts such as overtourism, sustainability, urban tourism, carrying capacity, COVID-19, and Airbnb. Thematic evolution and factor analyses indicate that while the literature initially focused on conceptual definitions and carrying capacity, it has expanded over time to encompass governance, social impacts, urban transformation, and sustainable development. Consequently, it is assessed that research on overtourism has evolved into an interdisciplinary framework, offering significant research opportunities within the context of sustainable tourism policies and destination management.

This study comparatively examines how ChatGPT and Google Gemini, large language model-based systems, produce tourism-oriented information on the historical and cultural heritage of the Turkic World. Designed as a qualitative study, it uses comparative document and thematic content analyses. In the same week of January 2026, the same Turkish question set was posed to both systems under identical language settings, and the outputs were treated as digital documents. The responses were analyzed through a coding framework developed from the information quality literature and refined in the study across historical accuracy, cultural representation, informative and guiding capacity, and currency and consistency. Findings indicate that ChatGPT responses foregrounded a more structured presentation through institutional documentation, source traceability, route suggestions, and logistical details. Google Gemini responses, however, placed stronger emphasis on historical continuity, cultural context, experiential narration, and conceptual coherence. Thus, both systems displayed different but complementary tendencies in structuring tourism information. While ChatGPT outputs made applicable planning steps more visible, Gemini outputs were notable for cultural interpretation and holistic heritage narration. Nevertheless, local cultural differences were addressed in limited depth in ChatGPT responses, whereas practical travel planning and source transparency were presented more generally in Gemini responses. In terms of cultural sensitivity, no clearly problematic or exclusionary expressions were found in either system. However, improvement is needed regarding local specificity, verifiability, and contextual depth. The results show that these systems can contribute functionally to heritage-oriented tourism information production, provided that such information is supported by critical verification and local contextualization processes.