Journal of Recreation and Tourism Research

The Impact of The Servant Leadership on Psychological Capital and Job Satisfaction in Tourism Businesses

Cihan Açıkgöz, Işıl Arıkan Saltık — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This study aims to examine the impact of servant leadership on psychological capital and job satisfaction among hotel employees. Survey technique was utilised in the collection of quantitative research data. The research population consists of employees working in five-star hotels in Bodrum. Hierarchical regression analysis was applied to test the research hypotheses. The study confirmed the four-factor structure of psychological capital, comprising hope, resilience, self-efficacy, and optimism. The findings indicate that servant leadership exerts a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction. Furthermore, the psychological capital dimensions of self-efficacy, hope, and optimism were found to positively and significantly influence job satisfaction, whereas resilience did not have a statistically significant effect. The findings of this study indicate that servant leadership exerts a significant positive influence on employees’ job satisfaction, particularly by reinforcing psychological resources such as hope, self-efficacy, and optimism.

Evacuation Times in Natural Disasters: Pathfinder Simulation

Ceyda Işık, Ülker Çolakoğlu, Osman Eralp Çolakoğlu, Osman Nuri Özdoğan — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Fires in Turkey cause loss of life and property. When this situation is reflected in the news, it creates a negative image for Turkish tourism. It is not possible to conduct drills while customers are staying in hotels. Existing literature indicates that the Pathfinder program produces results with almost 100% accuracy for the optimization of evacuation processes in public areas (theatres, mosques, etc.). For this reason, the Pathfinder application was preferred in the research. This study was carried out using the Pathfinder application, considering the natural disasters in our country. The aim of the research is to calculate the evacuation processes in disaster situations in hotel architecture plans and to suggest new scenarios. According to the findings obtained, while the evacuation times increase as the number of rooms increases, the extent to which architectural planning increases this evacuation is discussed through figures. For this reason, single, double and triple rooms are drawn randomly, customer evacuation times are evaluated by adding rooms side by side and escape ramps in between, and the current situation is addressed through hotel architecture. As a result, the more hotel rooms there are, the more commercial income is generated, but it has been observed that guest evacuation times are reduced by adding escape ramps by sacrificing rooms. It is thought that this should be taken into consideration in the design of hotel architecture.

The Effect of Leisure Motivation, Leisure Satisfaction and Mental Well-Being of Elderly Tourists Participating in Recreative Activities on Their Revisiting Intentions

Özge Yavuzoğlu Bolu, Gülseren Yurcu — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between leisure motivation, leisure satisfaction and mental well-being of tourists aged 50 and over participating in recreational activities in Antalya and to evaluate the effect of these factors on revisit intentions. For this purpose, a total of 394 participants aged 50 and over participating in recreational activities in hotels in Antalya were reached. Leisure Motivation, Leisure Satisfaction, Mental Well-being and Revisit Intention scales were used to collect data. As a result of the data analysis, there were differences in the perceptions of leisure motivation of tourists according to age, education status and income status. Leisure satisfaction perceptions differ according to gender, marital status, income status, age and education status. Tourists' perceptions of mental well-being differ according to gender, marital status, age and education status. Tourists' revisit intentions differ according to marital status, age and education status. It was determined that there was a positive relationship between the leisure motivation, leisure satisfaction, mental well-being and revisit intentions of the participants participating in recreational activities.

Awareness of Cooking Program Students towards Geographically Indicated Desserts: A Regional Comparative Study

Burak Bayrak, Gönül Çay, Soner Beşcanlar — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The traditions, gastronomic heritage and nutritional habits of societies reflect their cultural structures. Turkish cuisine has a rich structure thanks to its deep-rooted history dating back to Central Asia and its interaction with different civilizations. In order to preserve this cultural richness and contribute to regional development, the geographical indication system is important and awareness of these products should be increased. This research aims to examine the awareness levels of students studying in culinary programs regarding geographically indicated desserts. Qualitative research method was used in the study; data was collected through semi-structured interview form with 176 students. The data was evaluated through content analysis. The most well-known geographically indicated desserts by students were Süt helvası, Lokma, Baklava, Kabak tatlısı, Künefe, Ekmek kadayıfı, Burma, Hamsiköy sütlacı, Aydın kabak tatlısı and Höşmerim. In the distribution of these desserts by regions; Milk helva in Marmara, Kırşehir Höşmerim in Central Anatolia, İzmir Lokma in the Aegean, Bici Bici in the Mediterranean, Ordu Fındıklı Burma in the Black Sea, Kadayıf dolma in Eastern Anatolia and Antep Baklava in Southeastern Anatolia are prominent. The research comparatively evaluated the perception and awareness of desserts in different regions and offered both theoretical and practical contributions.