Analysis of the perception of foreign tourists about Turkish cuisine through the word association test: The case of Cappadocia region

Abstract

Countries, which are rich in historical, natural, and cultural, are advantageous in terms of tourism compared to other countries. Cuisines, one of the cultural richness, attracted the attention of tourists in recent years. With its historical and cultural background, Turkish cuisine has always made itself known amongst the world's cuisines. Considering the increasing popularity of Turkish cuisine; of foreign tourists coming to Turkey, their thoughts about Turkish cuisine has become extremely important. The aim of this study is to determine opinions of foreign tourists coming to Cappadocia region of Nevşehir about Turkish cuisine. In order to determine their decision Word Association Test (WAT) was applied. As a result, Turkish cuisine offers delicious, spicy, various, healthy foods, but is not well-known.