SUCCESS FACTORS, CONTRIBUTIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE CARNIVALS: THE CASE OF INTERNATIONAL ADANA ORANGE BLOSSOM CARNIVAL

The International Adana Orange Blossom Carnival, held in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey, has become a successful event that attracts more attention every year. This study aims to find out the critical success factors of the carnival, its contributions to the city and the requirements for its sustainability based on the stakeholders’ perspectives. In this context, qualitative data were collected via the interview with 194 stakeholders. Qualitative data were subjected to content analysis to determine the codes and categories. Chi-square tests were utilized to find out the relations between the categories obtained from content analysis and groups of stakeholders. Highlighting symbols specific to Adana and diversity of activities were determined as the success factors of the carnival. The stakeholders had some disagreements with regard to different aspects of the carnival, but there was a consensus that the carnival contributed to the city's economy, promotion, socio-cultural structure and social cohesion. Strengthening cooperation among all stakeholders was emphasized for the sustainability of the carnival.