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Subjective Well-Being in World Heritage Sites: Localization and Thematic Integration of the Happiness Index for Turkey

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Abstract

The investigation of subjective well-being with the aim of steering tourism development towards improving host community well-being in World Heritage Sites is the principle behind Planet Happiness project. To complement the extant literature on the Happiness Index’s use in different national contexts, this research outlines a methodological approach of the translation and localization of Happiness Index to Turkish language and cultural characteristics. Subsequently, additional items derived from scholarly literature to capture residents’ perceptions of conservation efforts and tourism activity are proposed. Reinforcing these theoretical findings with insights of polling firms and through interviews with experts working in World Heritage Sites, this research suggests that well-being studies would benefit from a modular perspective that allows the reflection of contextual elements in the survey instrument and in the data collection process that are rooted in the geographical, legal, economic, and socio-cultural attributes of the region or city in question. This methodological approach is tested in Cappadocia World Heritage Site in Turkey with 178 respondents chosen via convenience sampling. The findings of descriptive statistical procedures indicate a contextual incompatibility of several items of the Happiness Index in Turkey and suggest that future inquiries into subjective well-being would benefit from context-specific modifications to the Happiness Index. By combining well-being with findings pertinent to additional tourism and conservation domains, the methodological implications for future well-being studies in Turkey’s World Heritage Sites are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to their colleagues Nevra Ersari and Kivanc Inelmen, as well as Bekir Agirdir and Ali Karakas of Konda for their insightful contributions to the survey localization process, and Yuksel Dincer for his guidance on survey administration in Cappadocia. The authors would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their invaluable comments on the earlier version of this article, and Laura Musikanski and Paul Rogers for their leadership in the Planet Happiness project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Of Tourism Administration, Boğaziçi University, Hisar Campus 34342 Bebek, Istanbul, Turkey

    Sina Kuzuoglu, Selenay Ata, Burcin Hatipoglu & Bengi Ertuna

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  1. Sina Kuzuoglu
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  2. Selenay Ata
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  3. Burcin Hatipoglu
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  4. Bengi Ertuna
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Correspondence to Sina Kuzuoglu.

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Kuzuoglu, S., Ata, S., Hatipoglu, B. et al. Subjective Well-Being in World Heritage Sites: Localization and Thematic Integration of the Happiness Index for Turkey. Int. Journal of Com. WB 3, 223–240 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42413-020-00057-8

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