Özet:

Brand cities are emerging as a result of efforts to create a city identity by focusing on the city's own original values. Cities that focus on a specific target group, position themselves differently from other cities, and create tourism potential by using historical, cultural and geographical features are seen to be advantageous in branding. The studies that Eskişehir has made in recent years have caused a student to be positioned as a city and to be referred to as a cultural tourism city with its cultural activities and recreational areas. In this study, the contribution of the recreation areas of Eskişehir to city branding was tried to be determined by qualitative analysis methods due to foreign tourists. Preliminary interviews were conducted with 8 university students coming to Eskişehir with Association Internationale des ÉtudiantsSciences Économiques et Commerciales (AIESEC) projects to measure their general observations about Eskişehir. Later on, trips to the tourist destinations and recreation areas of Eskişehir with the interviewers were organized and workshops were held. Finally, a final meeting was held to get the views of the interviewers about whether Eskisehir is a brand city and which elements contribute to this brand. In the analysis part of the study, descriptive and statistical content analysis was applied to interviewers' answers and the prominent codes were determined under certain categories. As a result of this data, Eskisehir’s Brand Concept Map was issued. In the obtained Brand Concept Map, Eskisehir’s most remarkable brand value is expressed as “Fairy Tale Castle”. Other recreation areas in Sazova Park, which hosts the Fairy Tale Castle; The “Science Experiment Center” and “Planetarium (Space House)” were again mentioned by the interviewers. In addition, “Waterfall Park” and “Kentpark” were included in the expressions of a few interviewers as recreation areas. When you look at the findings about the image of Eskisehir; “student city”, “small city”, “livable city” expressions attract attention. Odunpazarı, Yılmaz Büyükerşen Wax Museum of Sculpture, Porsuk Brook and Adalar region were also mentioned as strong brand values by interviewers. Finally, the question about whether Eskişehir is a brand city; 2 participants positive; 2 participants were negative; 4 participants were answered as having the potential to become a brand city.

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