Examining Cultural Tourism Attractions for Foreign Visitors: The Case of Camel Wrestling in Selçuk (Ephesus)

• Main Author: Vedat Çalışkan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Novi Sad 2010-01-01
• Series: Turizam
• Subjects: camel wrestles; festivals; cultural heritage; Ephesus; Western Anatolia
• Online Access: http://www.dgt.uns.ac.rs/turizam/arhiva/vol_1401_caliskan.pdf

This study focuses on the Camel Wrestling Festival in Selçuk, which has gained importance with its tourist appeal among traditional camel wrestling organizations in Western Anatolia. The study aimed to investigate those aspects of the Festival, which were found to be attractive for foreign visitors, and to evaluate the impacts of tourism on this traditional event. The study data were obtained from the surveys that were completed by 56 foreign visitors at the Camel Wrestling Festival in Selçuk on January 18, 2009. Findings of the study demonstrate that this traditional event attracts foreign visitors from various countries worldwide, for they are curious about this event and desire to have a cultural-authentic experience. The Camel Wrestling Festival in Selçuk is a cultural heritage, which has not been commercialized or lost its authentic significance yet, although it is vulnerable to the impact of international tourism. Nevertheless, handing this value down to the future by conserving it with its cultural surroundings is possible through a sustainable tourism policy. The Camel Wrestling Festival in Selçuk is in the process of becoming a touristic product, and the proposals in the study contribute to the development of a policy for the festival concerned.