Cultural tourism in Istanbul: The mediation effect of tourist experience and satisfaction on the relationship between involvement and recommendation intention

•Highlights cultural tourism in the center of historical Old Istanbul.•A new model links factors including involvement and recommendation intention.•Experience quality and satisfaction mediation is applied to recommendation intention.•Learning has the most significant effect on the development of experience quality.•Theoretical and managerial implications are offered for academics and practitioners.

This study aims to empirically test a model linking involvement, experience quality, satisfaction, and recommendation intention. The study also analyzes the mediating effect of experience quality and satisfaction on the relationship between involvement and recommendation intention in a cultural tourism destination context. Data were collected from tourists using a survey from a historical area of Istanbul, the Sultanahmet district. The results reveal that experience quality and satisfaction mediate the relationship between involvement and recommendation intention in the cultural tourism context. This study discusses the theoretical and management implications of these findings. The suggested strategies would diversify and boost the Istanbul tourism industry by targeting different tourist groups.