Abstract:
Archaeological sites are an important component of cultural tourism. All kinds of elements obtained from these areas have the potential of touristic products. Local people living in these destinations can take on various tasks in the areas where archaeological excavations are carried out; therefore, they can naturally be exposed to the concepts of archeology and tourism. How these individuals perceive the concept of tourism is considered as the starting point of this study. So much so that the local people also play an important role in the protection and preservation of cultural heritage assets. In line with the process and focus of the study, it is aimed to determine the metaphorical perceptions of the local people living in the Gülağaç District of Aksaray Province, which is an archaeological site, with the completed and ongoing scientific excavation researches towards the concept of "tourism". Phenomenological studies, which are also described as narrative research, also discover the common meaning of individuals' lived experiences about a phenomenon or concept. As a result of the data obtained from 87 locals who directly or indirectly interacted with the archaeological sites; metaphors of tourist, money, crowd, sightseeing, gold, book, evil, abundance, teacher, child, additional income, advertisement, development, sin, wallet, home, foreign language, sadness, activity, pottery observed to be developed.