The current place and impact of photography in tourism of the Cappadocia region

Abstract

It can be said that the desire to tell and convey the phenomena that people see or experience around them is based on their conscious existence. So much so that, even in the earliest known histories, man is described as an entity that has the instinct to convey what he sees by scraping and painting on the cave walls. When we look at today's conditions, it is seen that the motivation of people to accumulate and tell about the moments they live is increasing and even comes to a very important place in the ordinary flow of life. This situation has also transformed the travel reasons of tourists, so that while the act of photographing is a natural outcome of travel, for some times, travel has evolved into an action that serves the purpose of photographing. When the photography field is examined in the Cappadocia Region, which is a visual feast for these recreational activities, it can be said that the motivational transformation in question is widely observed. In addition to its unique geological structure, this mystical texture of the Cappadocia Region, which stands out in the context of culture and faith tourism with its historical and cultural values; It has become a destination that attracts intense visitors for photography and photographing purposes. The aim of this study is to reveal and examine the driving factors in question. In this direction, the case study, which is a qualitative research approach in which situations and situation-related themes are defined, was preferred and focused on "how" and "why" questions. In this context, as it is understood from the data obtained as a result of the interviews with 14 professional experts serving in the field of photography in the Cappadocia region, the photographic impulses of the tourists can be the primary motivation for their travels. So much so, based on the statements of the participants; It has been concluded that the Cappadocia Region can be preferred by tourists only for photographing due to its natural and geological structure.