Günay Erol

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Günay Erol is an Associate Professor at Nevsehir Haci Bektas Veli University's Faculty of Tourism, where she has been serving since 2024. Previously, she held positions as Assistant Professor and Lecturer at the Urgup Sebahat and Erol Toksoz Vocational School within the same university since 2012. She also serves as the Department Head since 2018.

Her educational background includes:

• Doctorate (2016) from Gazi University Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Tourism Management with thesis "The effect of role overload on marriage quality among hotel employees"
• Master's degree (2012) from Balikesir University Institute of Social Sciences, Tourism and Hotel Management with thesis "The relationship between leadership styles and organizational silence: A study in hotel enterprises"
• Licence (2010) from Balikesir University College of Tourism and Hotel Management, Department of Travel Management

Dr. Erol's research focuses on tourism management, gastronomy tourism, and hospitality sectors, with particular emphasis on destination marketing, organizational behavior in tourism businesses, and culinary heritage. Her work explores the intersection of cultural heritage and tourism development, especially in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. She has conducted extensive research on visitor behavior, restaurant management, and the impact of tourism on local communities.

Her publications reveal a strong focus on regional tourism development, particularly in Cappadocia, with recurring themes of gastronomy tourism, creative tourism, and the impact of global events like the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism patterns. Her recent work shows increasing attention to sustainable tourism practices and the digital transformation of tourism marketing through social media platforms.

Dr. Erol has supervised multiple graduate theses, including:

• Serdar Cakar (2022): "Comparison of the Development Process of Turkish Cuisine Periodically with Today's Restaurant Menus: The Istanbul Example"
• Magfur Sedat Aydogan (2020-present): "Determining the Levels of Hygiene, Food Safety Knowledge and Practice of Kitchen Staff Working in Hotel Enterprises: The Ayvalık Example"

She has participated in research projects including "Nevşehir Regional Kitchen Products Contribution to Gastronomy Tourism" (2018-2019) and "Teaching the Lost Dishes of Anatolia to Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Students" (2018-2019).

Dr. Erol teaches various courses in tourism management, food and beverage operations, reservation systems, and special interest tourism, demonstrating her comprehensive expertise across the tourism and hospitality sectors.