Experiencing nature through geotourism: a qualitative analysis of visitor experiences at the Güzelcehisar Lava Columns

Purpose This study examines visitor experiences at the Güzelcehisar Lava Columns (GLC) through Hose's 3G model of modern geotourism, asking how visitors experience the site and how those experiences relate to geoconservation, geohistory and geo-interpretation. Design/methodology/approach A phenomenological orientation was adopted and data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected participants recruited on site and through referral. Transcripts were coded independently by two authors and compared by a third, with the 3G model used as sensitizing concepts rather than a coding frame. Findings Four themes emerged: geological and aesthetic perception, the significance of natural and cultural heritage, visitor experiences and emotional impacts and infrastructure and accessibility. Aesthetic appeal was strong, but scarce interpretive provision constrained the geo-interpretation dimension, and two participants' reading of the formation as human-made points to an emerging authenticity-related tension. Infrastructure and accessibility emerged as a cross-cutting condition rather than a fourth dimension. Originality/value The study addresses the scarcity of empirical, visitor-level applications of a model predominantly used at site-assessment and planning level. It suggests that the three dimensions are experienced as interdependent rather than parallel, and that where interpretive provision was absent, aesthetic engagement did not extend into conservation-oriented understanding.