Slum Area for Tourists: From Residents’ Perspective Tarlabaşı Case Study

Slum areas are the alienated areas of the city and therefore they have not been introduced as a tourism product in the past. Today, these areas are being visited by tourists as they seek different experiences. And a new tourism type is developed which is named as slum tourism. The aim of this study is to explain how the local people living in these areas define their region and their perspectives towards the visitors. In the study, qualitative research was preferred and interview technique was used for data collection. The data used in the study were obtained from 29 participants residing in Tarlabaşı, Istanbul and the data were analyzed in NVivo qualitative data analysis program. According to the results, local people defined Tarlabaşı as a region where the crime rates are high, the superstructures are inadequate and the visitors come to take pictures while the local people show positive attitude towards the visitors