Travel Motivations and Destination Attributes in Online Tourist Reviews: A Qualitative Study of Cittaslow Demre, Antalya

Abstract

This study examines how visitors describe their travel motivations, destination experiences, and practical concerns in online reviews of Demre, Antalya. The researchers organized 210 unique TripAdvisor reviews, posted between 1 January 2021 and 1 July 2026 across five attraction groups, in a structured analytical matrix; stated visits range from 2020 to 2026. Demre’s Cittaslow status is treated as a contemporary destination-management context rather than as an explanation for reviews that largely pre-date certification. Qualitative content analysis formed the principal method within a document-analysis design informed by netnographic principles. Deductive push–pull categories were combined with inductive coding, and descriptive counts were used for language, year, visible ratings, and theme presence. Learning and discovery appeared in 168 reviews (80.0%), novelty and wonder in 126 (60.0%), restoration and escape in 60 (28.6%), spirituality and pilgrimage in 44 (21.0%), embodied achievement in 31 (14.8%), and shared experience in 26 (12.4%). Among 209 reviews with visible ratings, the descriptive mean was 4.39; St. Nicholas had the lowest attraction-level mean (3.96), alongside concerns about price, interpretation, restoration, and commercial pressure. No review explicitly mentioned Cittaslow or a recognized slow-city equivalent, although 29 reviews (13.8%) described experiences compatible with slow-destination principles. The findings support integrated interpretation, accessible information, conservation-sensitive marine management, transparent pricing, and post-certification monitoring.