Understanding International Botanical Tourists’ Travel Motivations: The Role of Plant Diversity and Landscape Attributes in Turkey

Abstract

Botanical tourism is a growing niche within nature-based travel, yet little is known about tourists who travel specifically to observe plants in their natural habitats. This study addresses this gap by examining the travel motivations of international botanical tourists visiting Turkey through the push–pull framework. A qualitative approach was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 56 tourists recruited through a specialist botanical tour operator. Reflexive thematic analysis identified six push factors: biophilia and nature centrality, psychological escape, plant passion and identity, knowledge seeking, transformative experience, and ethical reflection. Five pull factors were also identified: professional guides, endemism, natural landscapes, seasonality, and remoteness and authenticity. The findings show that botanical tourism is an identity-based and knowledge-oriented form of travel in which personal motivations are closely linked to ecological destination attributes. The study extends push–pull theory and offers practical implications for guide training, endemic-route design, phenology-based itineraries, and conservation-sensitive tourism management.