Discovering the hotel selection factors of vegetarians : the case of Turkey

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the hotel selection preferences of vegetarians in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach: The questionnaire used in this study had four main sections: animal and environmentally friendly hotel attributes; hotel features and facilities; hotel food and beverage services; and demographic and travel information of respondents. Data were collected by way of face-to-face questionnaires from 328 self-identified vegetarians who visited the first vegan/vegetarian event – “Didim VegFest” – in Turkey on 29-30 April 2017. Findings: Eco-animal friendly hotels, customer requests and animal friendly and environmental ethics (main Factor 1); comfort and value, facilities and security, the natural environment and the staff and their services (main Factor 2); standards and sanitation, sensibility, atmosphere and knowledge (main Factor 3) were identified as the main hotel selection factors of vegetarians in Turkey. Originality/value: This study is the first of its kind in the tourism literature.