Tourist Behaviour and Destination Selection in Sport Tourism in the Context of Embodied Cognition Theory / Bedenlenmiş Biliş Teorisi Bağlamında Spor Turizminde Turist Davranışı ve Destinasyon Seçimi
Tourist Behaviour and Destination Selection in Sport Tourism
Keywords:
Embodied Cognition Theory, Sports Tourism, Tourist Behaviour, Destination Selection, Turist Davranışı, Spor Turizmi, Destinasyon SeçimiAbstract
ABSTRACT
Aim: This study aims to present the Embodied Cognition (EC) theory as a holistic theoretical framework by drawing attention to the inadequacies of traditional cognitive models in explaining sport tourism destination selection processes.
Material and Method: Through a theoretical analysis, the key concepts of EC, namely mental simulation, affordances and conceptual metaphors, are adapted to the sport tourism context. This framework reconceptualises tourist decision-making as a dynamic process shaped by bodily experiences, potential actions and environmental interactions rather than by abstract information processing. The tourist's evaluation of a destination is considered a mental and bodily "re-enactment" of potential actions to be experienced in that destination, and as direct perception of the action possibilities offered by the environment in relation to their own bodily capacities.
Results: The analysis reveals that the EC framework explains the impact of marketing communication through potential to create experience simulation and destination attractiveness through quality of the action opportunities it offers. It also shows how abstract tourist motivations are combined with concrete tourism experiences through metaphors with bodily origins. These findings suggest that tourist behaviour can be more deeply understood by assuming that the body, mind and environment are inseparable.
Conclusion: Embodied Cognition theory offers a powerful and fruitful theoretical lens for understanding sport tourism. It opens up new research horizons for academics and provides a concrete roadmap for destination managers, marketers and policy makers to develop more effective strategies centred on the "lived experience" of the tourist. This approach emphasises the idea that sport tourism is an "embodied" experience, not just a place to visit.
Keywords: Destination Selection, Embodied Cognition Theory, Sports Tourism, Tourist Behaviour.
ÖZET
Amaç: Bu çalışma, spor turizmi destinasyonu seçim süreçlerini açıklamak için geleneksel bilişsel modellerin yetersiz kaldığı noktalara dikkat çekerek, Bedenlenmiş Biliş (Embodied Cognition - EC) teorisini bütüncül bir teorik çerçeve olarak sunmayı amaçlamaktadır.
Materyal ve Metod: Kuramsal bir analizle, EC'nin temel kavramları olan zihinsel simülasyon, olanaklar (affordances) ve kavramsal metaforlar spor turizmi bağlamına uyarlanmıştır. Bu çerçeve, turist karar verme sürecini, soyut bir bilgi işlemden ziyade, bedensel deneyimlerin, potansiyel eylemlerin ve çevresel etkileşimlerin şekillendirdiği dinamik bir süreç olarak yeniden kavramsallaştırmaktadır. Turistin bir destinasyonu değerlendirmesi, o destinasyonda yaşayacağı potansiyel eylemleri zihinsel ve bedensel olarak "yeniden canlandırması" ve çevrenin sunduğu eylem olanaklarını kendi bedensel kapasiteleriyle ilişkilendirerek doğrudan algılaması olarak ele alınmaktadır.
Bulgular: Analiz, EC çerçevesinin, pazarlama iletişiminin etkisini deneyim simülasyonu yaratma potansiyeliyle, destinasyon çekiciliğini ise sunduğu eylem olanaklarının kalitesiyle açıkladığını ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca, soyut turist motivasyonlarının, bedensel kökenli metaforlar aracılığıyla somut turizm deneyimleriyle nasıl birleştiğini göstermektedir. Bu bulgular, turist davranışının, bedenin, zihnin ve çevrenin ayrılmaz bir bütün olduğu varsayımıyla daha derinlemesine anlaşılabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.
Sonuç: Bedenlenmiş Biliş teorisi, spor turizmini anlamak için güçlü ve verimli bir teorik mercek sunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, akademisyenler için yeni araştırma ufukları açarken; destinasyon yöneticileri, pazarlamacılar ve politika yapıcılar için turistin "yaşanmış deneyimini" merkeze alan daha etkili stratejiler geliştirmeleri yönünde somut bir yol haritası sağlamaktadır. Bu yaklaşım, spor turizminin sadece ziyaret edilen bir yer değil, "bedenlenen" bir deneyim olduğu fikrini vurgulamaktadır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Destinasyon Seçimi, “Embodied Cognition” Teorisi, Spor Turizmi, Turist Davranışı.
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