SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION: THE CASE OF CUMALIKIZ RESTAURANT

Cumalıkızık Village, located in Bursa, Turkey's fifth largest industrial city, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 under the title ‘Bursa and Cumalıkızık: The Birth of the Ottoman Empire’. Cumalıkızık Village is a destination that stands out with its Ottoman civil architecture, unique street structure, traditional way of life, cultural richness and natural beauties.

These characteristics of the village make it an object for cultural tourism. As a matter of fact, tourism makes significant contributions to the village's economy and attracts a significant number of domestic and foreign tourists. Many service providers operate in the village in order to meet the needs of tourists. The people of the village make active contributions to the provision of tourism services. The proximity of the village to the city centre and ease of transportation are two factors that positively affect village tourism. However, the increase in the number of tourists visiting the village during peak tourism seasons may cause problems related to environmental sustainability. Deficiencies in car parking and traffic regulations may also cause problems when the number of tourists is high. In addition, most of the restaurants operating in the village tend to serve breakfast; in other words, the lack of diversity in services constitutes the weaknesses of the village in terms of tourism.