ANALYSIS OF DESTINATION IMAGE THROUGH WORD ASSOCIATION TEST: THE CASE OF SINOP AS AN ECO-TOURISM DESTINATION

The aim of this study is to determine the cognitive structures of tourists receiving accommodation services in the destination of Sinop regarding the concept of "Sinop". In this context, data were collected from a total of 200 people with different demographic characteristics receiving accommodation services in the destination of Sinop using the survey technique. The data collection process of the research was completed between November 1, 2024 and January 01, 2025. During the data collection process of the study, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the research participants and information was given about the word association test beforehand. The data obtained from the participants were used to measure how they perceived the concept of "Sinop" using the word association test form. As a result of the research, it was determined that the participants mostly associated the words with “natural”, “local”, “healthy”, “slow”, “organic”, “quality”, “traditional”, “taste”, “sustainability”, “enjoyable”, “Karakum”, “local food”, “cultural”, “Alaaddin Mosque”, “Seyyid Bilâl”, “sunset” and “dark tourism”. Participants used the words “Pasha’s Redoubts”, “cittaslow”, “unique landspace”, “Yalı Kahvesi”, “kotra”, “linen”, “knife”, “calmness” and “Adabaşı” at a lower level as conceptual equivalents of the concept of “Sinop” and expressed it with terms that they assumed would convey its meaning. © 2025, Hysen MANKOLLI. All rights reserved.