The Tourism Research and Application Center primarily operates with the aim of conducting all kinds of scientific research and studies on Turkish tourism and tourism in the Balıkesir region; organizing courses, seminars, conferences, practical trips, and meetings to promote the development of tourism awareness and the profession; cooperating with domestic and international institutions related to its field of study and participating in their events; responding to all kinds of project feasibility studies and promotional requests from public and private institutions; and providing consultancy services to tourism enterprises on management issues.

Within its fields of activity, it also undertakes the establishment and operation of laboratories, workshops, and application units related to tourism management, and collaborates with relevant institutions in this regard. Furthermore, the center focuses on procuring books and documents on tourism, creating a data bank, and supporting research projects carried out by university faculty members on tourism management.