Innovative Business Models in Cultural Tourism: The Case of Cumalıkızık

Abstract

Cultural tourism has acquired greater importance not only as a fundamental tool for the promotion and preservation of local cultures but also as a sector that favours economic development. Currently, cultural tourism, in its new forms with innovative business models, aims at the protection of cultural heritage in a sustainable way while bringing more economic benefits to the local communities. In this sense, such culturally rich settlements like the village of Cumalıkızık in Bursa are very good examples for the implementation of such innovative business models. This village earned its place as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the preservation of samples of civil architectural works from the Ottoman era. These features allow this village to become an object for cultural tourism and open certain perspectives for the development of new business models. In addition, the innovative cultural tourism business models contrast with their approach: enriching experiences for visitors and supporting economic and sustainable tourism for local communities. This study analyses visitor experiences in Bursa's historic village of Cumalıkızık in detail. The analysis was conducted by examining visitor reviews shared on the Tripadvisor platform for the village and on Google for its restaurants. Based on the data obtained, innovative models were developed, and strategies and recommendations were proposed for advancing the cultural tourism of the village and differentiating its restaurants.