Tourism development of the Mediterranean city of Mersin (Turkey): local’s opinion

Aim. This study seeks to identify both the opportunities and challenges for tourism development in the Mediterranean city of Mersin based on opinion of local residents. 1 Methodology. The study is based on data of two sociological surveys, various literature sources, and the author’s own observations. The opinion of local residents is evaluated through two sociological surveys conducted among Turkish citizens and the Russian-speaking residents of the city of Mersin from December 18, 2022, to February 5, 2023, and from April 4, 2023, to July 16, 2023. The empirical data consists of 245 anonymous questionnaires: 143 were completed by Turkish citizens in Turkish, and 102 by Russian-speaking people in Russian. Results. The findings indicate a generally positive view among locals regarding the prospects for tourism development in Mersin. Key potential benefits identified from tourism development include the creation of new jobs for locals (53.5% of respondents), enhancement of the city of Mersin's image (46.5%), and improvement of services available to both tourists and residents (46.5%). Despite this shared optimism, notable differences in opinions were observed between the Turkish citizens and the Russian-speaking community. The study revealed five main obstacles for tourism development in the city: infrastructural (underdeveloped tourism infrastructure), environmental (sea and beach pollution (especially with plastic); litter on the streets), economic (inflation; underinvestment of tourism; lack of a tourism development strategy), socio-cultural (language barrier, both Russian and English) aspects as well as legal challenges (changes in legislation, e.g., in requirements for getting a temporary residence permit for foreign citizens). Research implications. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights into the preferences of the Russian-speaking tourists and the factors impeding tourism growth in Mersin. These findings may assist in boosting both the inbound tourist flow and the local tourism market. Additionally, the results may be applicable to other tourist destinations aiming to enhance or maintain tourist traffic from Russian-speaking countries.