A Research on the Shopping Trends of Bulgarian Tourists with the View of the Tradesmen of Edirne Selimiye Arasta

Özet

Shopping tourism is an important element of destination marketing within the scope of national or international tourism movements. Restaurants, hotels, recreation centers, shopping centers as well as traditional bazaar tradesmen are an intermediary and an important role in providing economic input to touristic destinations. Despite the rapid consumption structure of modern shopping centers, maintaining traditional artisan culture also brings loyal customers to destinations. Shopping tourism, which is an important part of tourism activities in particular, is an important center since Edirne Province is both deeply rooted in terms of history and an attractive destination in terms of culture and food tastes. In addition, Edirne Province is active in international tourism movements due to the border gates opening to Europe. This mobility has turned Edirne into a shopping tourism temple of Bulgarian tourists, especially due to exchange rates in recent years. In this context, a study was conducted on the perceptions of Edirne Selimiye Arastası tradesmen towards the shopping tendencies of Bulgarian tourists. This research is a quantitative research. The data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed with SPSS for Windows 22 statistical software. In the research, sampling technique was preferred as convenience sampling. A face-to-face questionnaire was applied to 80 tradesmen serving in Edirne Selimiye Arastası. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of the data. As a result of the research, various suggestions were made to public institutions and organizations. In addition, research res ults regarding the shopping trends of Bulgarian tourists are expected to guide destination marketers.