First Generation Tourism Scholars in Türkiye is a classification proposed by  Nazmi Kozak to describe the developmental stages of tourism academia in Türkiye. According to this framework, tourism academics in Türkiye can be grouped into three generations. The first generation comprises scholars who were educated and became active between the 1960s and 1990s, playing a pioneering role in the institutionalization of tourism research and education in the country.

Definition and Characteristics

The concept of the First Generation Tourism Scholars refers to the earliest group of scholars who contributed to the establishment of tourism as an academic field in Türkiye. Unlike later generations who received specialized tourism education, most members of the first generation were originally trained in disciplines such as economics, business administration, sociology, geography, public administration, and regional planning. After completing their undergraduate and graduate studies in these fields, they chose tourism as their primary area of research and professional engagement.

A defining characteristic of this generation was its emphasis on macro-level analyses of tourism. Their studies generally focused on tourism development, tourism economics, national tourism policies, regional planning, tourism promotion, and the socio-economic impacts of tourism. Compared with later generations, relatively few first-generation scholars conducted empirical field-based research or specialized studies at the micro level.

Historical Context

The emergence of the first generation coincided with the rapid development of tourism in the Republic of Türkiye following the establishment of the Ministry of Tourism and Promotion in 1963. During this period, tourism began to be recognized as a strategic sector capable of contributing to economic development, foreign exchange earnings, regional development, and international visibility.

The institutional foundations of tourism education in Türkiye were also established during this era. The growth of higher education programs created an academic environment in which tourism research could gradually develop as an independent field of inquiry.

Development of Tourism Education Institutions

The numerical growth of academic tourism programs in Türkiye occurred in two major phases during the first-generation period.

The first phase took place between 1963 and 1970, when several pioneering tourism education institutions were established. These included:

• Tourism Institute of the İzmir Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (1964)
• Higher Teacher Training School of Commerce and Tourism (1965)
• Tourism Chair at the Ege Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (1969), later transformed into the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management
• Institute of Economic Geography and Tourism at Istanbul University (1969)

A second phase of expansion occurred between 1974 and 1979, during which several additional higher education institutions offering tourism education were founded. Among them were:

• Hacettepe University School of Vocational Technology (1973)
• Ege University Aydın Associate Degree School (1974)
• Balıkesir School of Business Administration and Tourism of the Bursa Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (1975)
• Boğaziçi University Vocational School (1976)
• Ege University Aydın School of Tourism and Hotel Management (1977)
• Mersin School of Tourism Management of the Adana Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences (1979)

These institutions played a significant role in educating future tourism scholars, managers, and practitioners, while also contributing to the growth of tourism research in Türkiye.

Leading Universities and Academic Publications

Several universities emerged as important centers of tourism scholarship during the first-generation period. Among the most influential were:

• Ege University
• Dokuz Eylül University
• Istanbul University
• Uludağ University
• Hacettepe University

The academic output of the first generation was largely disseminated through pioneering tourism publications in Türkiye, particularly Turizm İşletmeciliği Dergisi (Journal of Tourism Management) and Turizm Yıllığı (Tourism Yearbook). These publications provided some of the earliest platforms for tourism-related scholarly discussion and research dissemination in the country.

Intellectual Influences

The scientific perspectives and methodological approaches of first-generation tourism academics in Türkiye were heavily influenced by European tourism scholarship. French tourism researchers and academic traditions exerted the strongest influence, particularly in tourism planning, tourism economics, and destination development studies.

German and British tourism research traditions also shaped the intellectual orientation of many scholars. These influences contributed to the adoption of international concepts and analytical frameworks during the formative years of tourism research in Türkiye.

Early Tourism Researchers

When the scope of analysis is broadened beyond university academics to include tourism researchers, writers, and practitioners, an earlier subgroup can be identified. This group was particularly active between the 1940s and 1980s and contributed significantly to the emergence of tourism knowledge in Türkiye before tourism became fully institutionalized within universities.

Prominent figures associated with this pioneering phase include:

• Selahattin Çoruh
• Tunay Akoğlu
• Çelik Gülersoy
• Hasan Olalı
• Ergün Göksan
• Süreyya Akgün

Their publications, reports, institutional initiatives, and advocacy efforts helped establish the intellectual foundations upon which later generations of tourism scholars would build.

Significance and Legacy

The First Generation Tourism Scholars in Türkiye played a foundational role in the emergence of tourism as an academic discipline and professional field. Through the establishment of educational institutions, the production of scholarly literature, and the adaptation of international tourism theories to the Turkish context, they laid the groundwork for subsequent generations of researchers.

Their contribution extends beyond academia. Many of their studies influenced tourism planning, destination development, tourism education, and public policy in Türkiye. As a result, the first generation occupies a central place in the historiography of tourism education and tourism research in the Republic of Türkiye.