Abstract:
In this study it has been aimed to determine the tourism perception of residents and what should be done to
develop tourism in Turkestan. A questionnaire prepared for this purpose was conducted to residents by the
method of simple random sampling. According to questionnaire results obtained from 940 people, it is found
that residents in Turkestan define tourism as an activity which provides economic development and they define
tourist as person who brings currency. Respondents intensely indicate that in Turkestan existing facilities
should be enhanced and service quality should be increased. Moreover, as a result of the analysis of the obtained
data, seven factors related to residents’ tourism perception and their attitudes towards tourism have
been identified. When the average of these factors in terms of education, monthly income and nationality of
residents was taken into account, significant differences have been found. The study is significant in that it is
the first study carried out specifically in Turkestan and in this scope.
