Map 1:
Map of Sinop
Table 1:
Languages of comments on Tripadvisor site
| Comment Languages | Number of People | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish | 392 | %92,24 |
| German | 2 | %0,47 |
| Russian | 1 | %0,24 |
| Japanese | 1 | %0,24 |
| English | 24 | %5,65 |
| French | 4 | %0,94 |
| Dutch | 1 | %0,24 |
Map 2:
Spatial tourism potential of the region
Source: Created by the authors using ArcGIS software.
Figure 1:
Information on Visitors’ Ratings of the Region
Figure 2:
Code Cloud for Reviews on Tripadvisor
Figure 3:
Distribution of subcodes for transportation and access main code
Source: Created by the authors using MAXQDA software
Table 2:
Some visitor comments on the transportation and access master code
| Transportation and Access | Visitor comments | |
|---|---|---|
| Proximity to Sinop Center | “…40 min. drive from the center of Sinop…” “…about 40 kilometers outside Sinop…” “…This natural wonder, which can be reached by a 1-hour drive inland from Sinop in the direction of Ankara…” | |
| Reaching the Top | “…The hiking trail can be challenging in places, but there are 28 waterfalls, each with its own beauty…” “…there are both normal walking paths and exits from the waterfalls…” “…Definitely don’t take the stairs, for the adventurous ones, go through the rocks to reach the summit…” | |
| Road Condition | Easy Access | “…Easy to reach by car…” “…It’s easy to get to the waterfalls…” “…We went with our private car Transportation was easy and the roads were smooth…” |
| Physical Barriers | “…The road may be bad, but when you see the end, it’s worth it…” “…it was very winding and your left side was completely dammed…” “…also the road is bad, dirt in places…” “…The road is narrow and winding…” | |
Figure 4:
Distribution of subcodes for the main code of natural beauties and aesthetics
Source: Created by the authors using MAXQDA software
Table 3:
Some Visitor Comments on Natural Beauties and Aesthetics Main Code
| Natural Beauty and Aesthetics | Visitor comments |
|---|---|
| Peace and Calm | “…luckily we were there one morning and no one was there. It was wonderful to listen to the birdsong in the silence…” “…It gives you peace of mind to see just one or two of them, let alone all of them…” “…A beautiful place for hiking and relaxing…” |
| Features of the waterfall | “…In some places you can enter the water with your feet. The water is like ice and soothes the feet…” “…consists of 28 waterfalls. The waterfalls are small in size…” “…immerse yourself in the sound and coolness of the waterfalls…” “…You are greeted by a large waterfall and then a series of waterfalls, large and small…” |
| Nature and Landscape | “…The green nature will make you very happy…” “…the lung that inhales that oxygen is incorrigible, a more fragrant nature A wonder of nature…” “…First of all, the park is really wonderful with its nature, very beautiful green, cascades, waterfalls, the colors of the water, the nature cover contains a thousand and one shades of green…” |
Figure 5:
Distribution of Subcodes for Timing and Seasonality Main Code
Source: Created by the authors using MAXQDA software
Table 4:
Some Visitor Comments on Timing and Seasonality Main Code
| Timing and Seasonality | Visitor comments |
|---|---|
| Seasonal Beauties | “…It’s an ideal area for sightseeing in warm weather…” “…It’s very beautiful but it didn’t make sense to go in March, we did. I think it would be perfect in the summer…” “…Fall is preferable, but it’s also nice and cool in the summer with a microclimate…” |
| Crowd Condition | “…We went on the 3rd day of Eid around 11 a.m. The entrance and parking lot were comfortable. But a few hours later there were kilometers of vehicle queues…” “…It’s very crowded during the holidays and weekends…” “…It’s very crowded even though it’s a weekday…” “…In the summer I’m sure there are some people who can’t resist going into the pools where the water-falls cascade. Since we went in April and on a weekday, there was no one there…” |
Figure 6:
Distribution of Subcodes for the Services and Maintenance Main Code
Source: Created by the authors using MAXQDA software
Table 5:
Some visitor comments on the services and care core code
| Services and Maintenance | Visitor comments | |
|---|---|---|
| Services | Food and Beverage Businesses | “…There is a business at the entrance of the waterfall where there is food and drink…” “…There are no quality facilities. There is a small village restaurant, bring your needs with you, there is no grocery store style place to shop…” “…When you get to the spring, you can drink the cold water and eat the buttermilk, corn, potatoes sold there…” “…The food courts run by the people of Erfelek in the picnic area can also be considered for food (lamb roast, grill, pancakes)…” |
| Recreation Opppurtunities | “…there are some very nice barbecue places…” “…It’s the place where you can go for a family picnic or a walk in the waterfalls or both…” “…This is a perfect place, there are camping sites right in front of it, picnic area, go with barbecue…” “…There are observation decks…” “…After breakfast, go down to Erfelek sweet waterfalls with a long nature walk…” “…That’s actually the place to go trekking over a normal waterfall…” | |
| Landscaping | Parking Areas | “…No parking problems…” “…There is a parking lot inside…” “…There is absolutely no parking problem if you go by car…” |
| Well Groomed | “…In general, everywhere I went in Sinop province was full of garbage thrown left and right. It’s good that this place has remained so clean. I hope it will continue like this…” “…The surroundings are well maintained and clean…” “…the facility built around it has not disturbed the naturalness at all, but the whole place is spotless…” | |
| Not Well Groomed | “‥It is not clear whether it is a nature park or a fairground. The smell of barbecue is everywhere. Pet bottles on the floor…” “…But unfortunately such a natural wonder is being ruined by plastic bottles and garbage…” “…The toilets are very bad…” “…It’s not enough for that many people and it smells very bad even from a distance. They condemn people to that toilet…” | |
Figure 7:
Distribution of subcodes for the main code of price and performance factors
Source: Created by the authors using MAXQDA software
Table 6:
Some visitor comments on the main code of price and performance factors
| Price and Performance Factors of Businesses | Visitor comments |
|---|---|
| Price-Performance Ratio | “…There’s a charge in the restroom. I don’t like the taste of the tea in the cafe. A small glass costs 2,5 tl…” “…When we went downstairs we had tea (2,5 lira) it was good…” “…I kept my eye on the roast lamb. They just put it on and I would like to eat it if I had time, 120 liras per kilo is very reasonable…” “…We had gözleme. It wasn’t very tasty, the price was 10 TL…” “…of course, at the end, a simple place that welcomes you in places we call wooden tables and seats that sell buttermilk, potatoes, etc. pancakes from the 2000s is waiting for you, and it is also very cheap to eat and drink there, the buttermilk is great…” |
| Entrance Fees | “…Entrance fee…” “…Entrance fee is 75 TL, you can pay by credit card…” “…The entrance fee makes sense by car. 15 tl per car, 5 tl per person if you want to enter on foot…” “…First of all, the entrance fee is 14,5b, which I think is very expensive…” “…But after paying this fee, it is a disappointment to encounter paid toilets inside. Besides the cleanliness problem, there is no soap or toilet paper…” |
Figure 8:
Distribution of sub-codes for the main code of visitor experiences and evaluations
Source: Created by the authors using MAXQDA software
Table 7:
Some visitor comments on the main code of visitor experiences and evaluations
| Visitor Experiences and Evaluations | Visitor comments |
|---|---|
| Suitability for Children | “…There is a park for children at the entrance…” “…we went with our 11-13 year old children…” “…Not very suitable for families with small children…” “…If you go with very young children, you will have difficulty climbing the waterfalls…” “…Leave the kids and see all the waterfalls with or without ropes, both the path and the waterfalls themselves are exquisite…” “…don’t come with small children…” |
| Negative Comments | “…The expectation of the waterfall may be a little small, it’s not a very big gigantic waterfall The same narrow stairs up and down, some places are slippery because they are wet, my wife fell while going down…” “…It is very disturbing that they allow barbecues near the waterfall. The whole area around the waterfall is filled with smoke because five people are barbecuing…” “…the smoke from barbecues here and there is disturbing…” “…It’s a pity they put the tables in front of the heavenly waterfall…” “…I went here with my wife about 7 years ago and it is officially ruined. The barbecues have smothered the beautiful waterfall view with smoke…” |
| Suggestions | “…You can go to Sinop Erfelek saddles with day tours…” “…it is recommended that you wear comfortable clothes and shoes as it will be visited…” “…Absolutely no fires should be allowed…” “…If you’re going to go, you shouldn’t go on a holiday…” “…The road through Sinop should be preferred, the road through Erfelek is winding and passes through forested areas…” “…one of Turkey’s paradise places and a must-see place to visit …” “…If you want to climb the Erfelek waterfall, take your non-slip sneakers. Don’t forget to drink coffee under the trees on the descent…” “…you will fall in slippers, wear shoes that are as non-slippery as possible and that you can afford to get dirty and take a backpack and a bottle to get water from the waterfall …” “…you can have a nice buttermilk or tea at the place located next to the spring…” |