Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-30-2026

Department 1

Sociology

Abstract

This study investigates how Arab tourists construct and negotiate the meanings of their visits to Istanbul through the intertwined lenses of media, identity, and consumption practices. Moving beyond conventional analyses of tourist motivation, the research explores how these visitors reconcile traditional and modern experiences, interpret mediated representations of the city, and utilize digital platforms to curate and share their travel narratives. Employing a qualitative design, the study draws on in-depth interviews, participant observations, and a focus group discussion conducted with 26 Arab tourists and seven local guides. The findings reveal that Turkish television dramas and popular media play a pivotal role in shaping Arab tourists’ imaginaries of Istanbul, fostering affective connections that influence their on-site behaviors and aesthetic choices. Tourists often re-enact media-inspired experiences, merging cultural familiarity with aspirations for cosmopolitan modernity. Simultaneously, local guides act as cultural mediators, translating and contextualizing media narratives for visitors. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of how media consumption, identity performance, and tourism practices intersect in the contemporary urban spaces. It concludes by highlighting the implications of mediated tourism for destination marketing and cultural representation in Türkiye.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

DOI

10.17211/tcd.1931955

Version

Version of Record

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