Sanal Gerçeklik Uygulamalarının Destinasyon Pazarlamasında Kullanılmasına Yönelik Kavramsal Bir Çalışma A Conceptual Study on the Use of Virtual Reality Applications in Destination Marketing

OZET Ulkemiz, jeopolitik ve cografi konumu, kulturel tarihi ve sahip oldugu kaynak donanimi ile dunyanin onemli bir turizm merkezi durumundadir. Ulkemiz de sahip oldugu bu turizm potansiyelini kullanma yolunda, tum dunya ulkeleri gibi, yeni arayislar ve yontemler bulma gayreti icindedir. Bu baglamda destinasyon pazarlamasi olgusu son yillarda literaturde uzerinde sikca durulan konulardan biri durumundadir. Tanim olarak destinasyon pazarlamasi, literaturde genel olarak, belli bir bolgenin dogal, kulturel, tarihi ozelliklerinin one cikartilarak, tuketicilerin ilgisini cekecek iletisim calismalari olarak ifade edilmektedir. Gunumuz tuketicisi her zamankinden daha sofistike bir gorunum sergileyerek, satinalma ve deneyimleme oncesinde tuketim deneyim surecine iliskin bilgiler toplamakta, tavsiyeleri incelemekte ve deneyimleri takip etmektedir. Ote yandan, pazardaki urun ve hizmetler arasindaki benzerliklerin artisi ve geleneksel tutundurma faaliyetlerinin yetersizligi, giderek firmalari zora sokarken, tuketicilerin de karar verme sureclerini daha karmasik hale getirmektedir. Bu durum tuketiciye ulasmak ve ikna etmek isteyen isletmeleri, rekabette bir adim one gecmek ve farklilasmak adina yeni uygulamalari denemeye itmektedir. Son yillarda iletisim teknolojilerinde yasanan gelismeler sanal dunya kavraminin hayatimiza girmesine yol acarak, sanal platformlarda yasanacak deneyimlerin tuketicilerin satin alma davranislarinda etkili olmasina sebep olmaktadir. Sanal deneyim yasatma konusunda firsat sunan uygulamalardan bir tanesi de sanal gerceklik (Virtual Reality-VR) teknolojileridir. 360 derece gorus acisi saglayan bu teknoloji gunumuzde daha cok eglence ve egitim alaninda faaliyet gosterse de turizm, emlak ve perakendecilik alanlarinda da tuketicilere onemli katkilar saglayabilecegi dusunulmektedir. Bu calisma, yeni bir teknoloji olan ve daha cok eglence ve egitim alaninda uygulama alani bulan VR teknolojisinin destinasyon pazarlamasinda uygulanabilirligine yonelik degerlendirmelerde bulunmak ve bu teknolojinin turizm baglaminda kullanimina yonelik alternatifler sunmak uzere gerceklestirilmistir. Calismada literatur ve uygulama alaninda kullanilan cesitli ornekler incelenerek degerlendirmeler yapilmaktadir. Anahtar kelimeler: Destinasyon Pazarlamasi, Sanal gerceklik, VR ABSTRACT Turkey is an important tourism center of the world with its jeopolitic and geographical location, cultural history and resource endowments. As other countries do, Turkey is in quest for finding new approaches and methods to exploit these tourism potential. In this context, the phenomenon of destination marketing is one of the frequently discussed topics in the literature in recent years. Destination marketing is generally expressed in the literature as a collection of communication efforts to appeal to the consumers by highlighting the natural, cultural and historical characteristics of a particular region. Todays’ consumers exhibit a more sophisticated stance by searching new information, even before the purchase and use decision, regarding the consumption experiences of others through following consumer comments and advices on particular consumption experiences. The increase in similarities among products, services in the market and the inadequacy of traditional promotional activities put firms into a difficult position, and makes the decision-making process of consumers more complicated. This fact forces firms to try new approaches and new technologies to differentiate themselves as well as to reach and persuade consumers in the face of intense competition.  In recent years, developments in communication technologies have put virtual reality platforms into our lives and led to the use of virtual platform experiences in consumers' decisions to purchase goods and services. Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are among the applications that offer the opportunity to experience virtual world. This technolog, which is providing a 360 degree view angle, is commonly used in the field of entertainment and education today, but it has the potential to contribute to the tourism, real estate and retailing industries. This study was conducted to provide alternatives for use in tourism context of this technology and to evaluate the feasibility of new VR technology, which find the application fields in entertainment and education. In the study, literature and various examples in the field of application are evaluated by examining. Key words: Destination Marketing, Virtual reality, VR