Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T01:09:54.277Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Understanding Small Tourism Businesses: A Perspective from Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2012

Atilla Akbaba
Atilla Akbaba*
Affiliation:
Duzce University, Akçakoca, Turkey
Get access

Abstract

The objective of this study was to contribute to the understanding of small tourism businesses (STBs) through an analysis of selected aspects in an urban setting, namely Akçakoca, Turkey. Particular attention was given to the characteristics of businesses, finance, marketing, human resource management, involvement of residents in the industry and management of STBs. The study employed a comparative research methodology using a survey instrument similar to those used by Thomas et al. (1997) for a study of tourism and small business development in the United Kingdom in 1996, and by Page et al. (1999) for a similar study in New Zealand in 1997. A sample of 87 businesses in Akçakoca was examined and their role in tourism evaluated. The findings of this study reveal that STBs carry significant deficiencies and inadequacies and face a common set of problems. The contribution to comparative research methodologies to tourism studies was also considered.

Keywords

Small tourism businessesmanagementAkçakocaTurkey
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management , Volume 19 , July 2012 , e9
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Akçakoca District Governor Tourism Bureau. (2010). Statistics on tourist information inquiries for the last 9 years, January 2010. Akçakoca, Turkey: Author.Google Scholar
Arslan, Ö. (2003). Küçük ve orta ölçekli işletmelerde işletme sermayesi ve bazı finansal yönetim uygulamaları [Operational capital in small and medium sized businesses and some financial management practices]. C.U. Journal of IIB, 4 (1), 121–135.Google Scholar
Ateljevic, J. (2005). Small is (still) beautiful: A synthesis of research on small tourism firms. AKTA Economika, 3 (3), 69–97.Google Scholar
Ateljevic, J. (2007). Small tourism firms and management practices in New Zealand: The Centre Stage Macro Region. Tourism Management, 28 (1), 307–316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Avci, U., Madanoglu, M., & Okumus, F. (2011). Strategic orientation and performance of tourism firms: Evidence from a developing country. Tourism Management, 32 (1), 147–157.Google Scholar
Ayyagari, M., Beck, T., & Demirguc-Kunt, A. (2007). Small and medium enterprises across the globe. Small Business Economics, 29 (4), 415–434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baffoe, J. (2005). The IMF and the World Bank. Retrieved from http://www.nipissingu.ca/news/view.asp?ID=9.Google Scholar
Bastakis, C., Buhalis, D., & Butler, R. (2004). The perception of small and medium sized tourism accommodation providers on the impacts of the tour operators’ power in Eastern Mediterranean. Tourism Management, 25 (2004), 151–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bengtson, A., Pahlberg, C., & Pourmand, F. (2009). Small firms’ interaction with political organizations in the European Union. Industrial Marketing Management, 38 (6), 687–697.Google Scholar
Bergin-Seers, S., & Jago, L. (2007). Performance measurement in small motels in Australia. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 7 (2), 144–55.Google Scholar
Department for Business Innovation and Skills. (2011). Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2010. Retrieved from http://www.bis.gov.uk/Google Scholar
Blackburn, B., & Kovalainen, A. (2009). Researching small firms and entrepreneurship: Past, present and future. International Journal of Management Reviews, 11 (2), 127–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braun, P. (2002). Networking tourism SMEs: E-commerce and e-marketing issues in regional Australia. Information Technology & Tourism, 5(1), 13–23.Google Scholar
Buultjens, J., & Cairncross, G. (2009). The Australian hospitality industry's response to formalised enterprise and individual bargaining prior to the Rudd Government. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 16 (2009), 45–54. doi 10.1375/jhtm.16.1.45Google Scholar
Cukier, J., Norris, J., & Wall, G. (1996). The involvement of women in the tourism industry of Bali, Indonesia. The Journal of Development Studies, 33, 248–270.Google Scholar
Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (2011). Government tourism policy. Retrieved from http://www.culture.gov.uk/Google Scholar
Di Domenico, M. (2008). ‘I'm not just a housewife’: Gendered roles and identities in the home-based hospitality enterprise. Gender, Work and Organization, 15 (4), 313–332.Google Scholar
Dom, S. (2008). Girişimcilik ve küçük işletme yöneticiliği [Entrepreneurship and small business management] (2nd ed.). Ankara, Turkey: Detay.Google Scholar
Dudensing, R.M., Hughes, D.W., & Shields, M. (2011). Perceptions of tourism promotion and business challenges: A survey-based comparison of tourism businesses and promotion organizations. Tourism Management, 32 (6), 1453–1462.Google Scholar
East Marmara Development Agency. (2010). Türkiye'deki küçük ve orta ölçekli işletmelerin bir incelemesi [An overview on small and medium sized businesses in Turkey]. Retrieved from http://www.marka.org.tr/24_icerik_DOKUMAN_ARSİVİ.htmGoogle Scholar
Erkuş-Öztürk, H., & Eraydin, A. (2011). Factors of global connectivity in Antalya's tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 38 (4), 1300–1321.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
European Commission. (2011). Enterprise and industry: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ‘Small Business Act’ for Europe. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sme/small-business-act/index_en.htmGoogle Scholar
Faulkenberry, L., Coggeshall, J., Backman, K., & Backman, S. (2000). A culture of servitude: The impact of tourism and development on South Carolina's coast. Human Organization, 59, 86–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Getz, D., & Carlsen, J. (2000). Characteristics and goals of family and owner-operated businesses in the rural tourism and hospitality sectors. Tourism Management, 21 (6), 547–560.Google Scholar
Getz, D., & Carlsen, J. (2005). Family business in tourism: state of the art. Annals of Tourism Research, 32 (1), 237–258.Google Scholar
Hernandez-Maestro, R.A., Munoz-Gallego, P.A., & Santos-Requejo, L. (2009). Small business owners’ knowledge and rural tourism establishment performance in Spain. Journal of Travel Research, 48 (1), 58–77.Google Scholar
Jaafar, M., Abdul-Aziz, A.R., Maideen, S.A., & Mohd, S.Z. (2011). Entrepreneurship in the tourism industry: Issues in developing countries. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30 (4), 827–835.Google Scholar
Johns, N., & Mattsson, J. (2005). Destination development through entrepreneurship: A comparison of two cases. Tourism Management, 26 (4), 605–616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Japan Small Business Research Institute. (2011). White paper on small and medium enterprises in Japan. Tokyo, Japan: Author.Google Scholar
Kreag, G. (2001). The impacts of tourism. Duluth, MN: Seagrant.Google Scholar
Kyriakidou, O., & Gore, J. (2005). Learning by example: Benchmarking organizational culture in hospitality, tourism and leisure SMEs. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 12 (3), 192–206.Google Scholar
Li, L. (2008). A review of entrepreneurship research published in the hospitality and tourism management journals. Tourism Management, 29, 1013–1022.Google Scholar
Lynch, P. (1996). Micro-enterprises and micro-firms in the hospitality industry: The case of bed and breakfast enterprises. Paper presented at the Spring Symposium of the International Association of Hotel Management Schools, Leeds Metropolitan University, England.Google Scholar
Main, H. (2002). The expansion of technology in small and medium hospitality enterprises with a focus on net technology. Information Technology and Tourism, 4 (1), 167–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Middleton, V. (2001). Marketing in travel and tourism. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.Google Scholar
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. (2011). Statistics of accommodation establishments. Retrieved from http://www.kultur.gov.trGoogle Scholar
Morris, R., & Brennan, G. (2000). Creating a seamless local government and small business interface for better regional economic development outcomes. Paper presented at the ICSB World Conference 2000, Brisbane, Australia.Google Scholar
Morrison, A. (1996). Marketing the small tourism business. In Seaton, A.V., & Bennett, M.M. (Eds.), Marketing tourism products: Concepts, issues, cases (pp. 399–418). London: International Thomson Business Press.Google Scholar
Morrison, A., Breen, J., & Shameem, A. (2003). Small business growth: intention, ability, and opportunity. Journal of Small Business Management, 41 (4), 417–425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morrison, A., Carlsen, J., & Weber, P. (2010). Small tourism business research change and evolution. International Journal of Tourism Research, 12 (6), 738–749.Google Scholar
Morrison, A., & Teixeira, R. (2004). Small business performance: a tourism sector focus. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 11 (2), 166–173.Google Scholar
Okan, K. (1996). Akçakoca: dünü ve bugünü [Akçakoca: Its past and today]. Ankara, Turkey: Yildizlar Ofset Ltd.Google Scholar
Oktay, E., & Guney, A. (2002). Türkiye'de KOBİ’lerin finansman sorunu ve çözüm önerileri [Finance problems of small and medium sized businesses in Turkey and solution proposals]. Symposium on SMSBs in 21st century: Problems, opportunities and solution proposals. Famagusta, The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: The East Mediterranean University.Google Scholar
Page, S.J., Forer, P., & Lawton, G.R. (1999). Small business development and tourism: Terra incognita? Tourism Management, 20 (4), 435–459.Google Scholar
Pearce, D. (1993). Comparative studies in tourism research. In Pearce, D., & Butler, D. (Eds.), (Tourism research: Critiques and challenges (pp. 20–35). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Rogerson, C.M. (2004). Urban tourism and small tourism enterprise development in Johannesburg: The case of township tourism. Geo Journal 60 (3), 249–257.Google Scholar
Roberts, S., & Tribe, J. (2008). Sustainability indicators for small tourism enterprises: An exploratory perspective. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16 (5), 575–594.Google Scholar
Russell, R., & Faulkner, B. (2004). Entrepreneurship, chaos and the tourism area lifecycle. Annals of Tourism Research, 31 (3), 556–579.Google Scholar
Sharma, A. (2006). Economic impact and institutional dynamics of small hotels in Tanzania. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 30 (1), 76–92.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaw, G., & Williams, A., (1990). Tourism, economic development and the role of entrepreneurial activity. In Cooper, C. (Ed.), Progress in tourism, recreation and hospitality management (Vol. 2, pp. 67–81). Chichester, England: Wiley.Google Scholar
Shaw, G., & Williams, A. (1994). Critical issues in tourism: A geographical perspective, Oxford, England: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Skalpe, O. (2007). The CEO gender pay gap in the tourism industry: Evidence from Norway. Tourism Management, 28 (3), 845–853.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
State Planning Organisation. (2008). Yıllık raporlar [Annual reports]. Ankara, Turkey: Author.Google Scholar
Sweeney, M., & Lynch, P.A. (2009). Classifying commercial home hosts based on their relationships to the home. Tourism and Hospitality Planning & Development, 6 (2), 159–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Texas Agricultural Extension Service & Texas Department of Economic Development. (1999). Developing tourism in your community. Austin, Texas: Author.Google Scholar
Thomas, R., Friel, M., Jameson, S., & Parsons, D. (1997). The national survey of small tourism and hospitality firms: Annual report 1996–1997. Leeds, England: Leeds Metropolitan University.Google Scholar
Thomas, R., Shaw, G., & Page, S.J. (2011). Understanding small firms in tourism: A perspective on research trends and challenges. Tourism Management, 32 (5), 936–976.Google Scholar
Thomas, R., & Thomas, U. (2005). Understanding tourism policy-making in urban areas, with particular reference to small firms. Tourism Geographies, 7 (2), 121–137.Google Scholar
Tinsley, R., & Lynch, P. (2001). Small tourism business networks and destination development. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 20 (4), 367–378.Google Scholar
Türkiye Seyahat Acentaları Birliği [The Association of Turkish Travel Agencies]. (2011). Tourism statistics. Retrieved from http://www.tursab.org.tr/tr/istatistiklerGoogle Scholar
Uriely, N., Yonay, Y., & Simchai, D. (2002). Backpacking and tourist experience: A type and form analysis. Annals of Tourism Research, 10 (1), 87–107.Google Scholar
U.S. Small Business Administration. (2011). History of the US Small Business Administration. Retrieved from http://www.sba.govGoogle Scholar
Wanhill, S. (2000). Small and medium tourism enterprises. Annals of Tourism Research, 27 (1), 132–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, A.M. (2000). Old wine in new bottles. Paper presented at Tourism Seminar, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar