THE MOTIVATIONS TO PARTICIPATING TREKKING ACTIVITIES: ADANA CASE
Erdinç Balli, Meltem Canoğlu
DOI: 10.35666/25662880.2016.2.36
UDC: 338.48-51:005.583.1(560 Adana)
Abstract: The aim of this study is to determine the profile of the trekking participants and their motivation for participating to trekking activities, which is a kind of nature- based and adventure tourism. Questionnaire technique has been utilized as the data gathering method and for this purpose „Recreation Experience Preference Scale‟, has been used in this study. The sample consists of 324 individuals participated to the trekking within nature- based activities associations in Adana,
Turkey. Descriptive statistic methods are used for evaluations and representation of data. As a result of this study we found that majority of the participants are male (% 53,7), between 35-44 years old (% 30,6), married (% 51,2), graduated from university (% 64,8) , have been attending for 1-5 years (%41,7), participate to trekkings 3 or 4 times a year (%41,7), and usually prefer to joint the activities with friends (% 60,8). The results of survey also show that the first ten reasons to motivate the individuals to participate to trekking are; “physical rest, slow down mentally, tranquility,escape role overloads, escape daily routine, escape crowds, exercisephysical fitness, independence, privacy and nostalgia”.
Key words: Trekking, nature-based tourism, tourist motivation