Abstract:
This study was based on the hypothesis that “Ecotou
rism is an important instrument in
sustainable rural development and ecologically-base
d landscape planning approaches
which take the objectives of socio-economic develop
ment and nature conservation have an
effective role in this issue”. For this purpose, th
e necessity of ecologically-based landscape
planning approaches in the planning and implementat
ion of ecotourism activities and the
importance of the views of related stakeholders in
decision-making process have been
established in this study. The field of study was g
rounded on subbasin and micro basin
boundaries which take natural thresholds into consi
deration instead of administrative
boundaries which contrast with natural thresholds.
A total of 31 micro basins, consisting
of 20 basins in the Kazandere basin of a total of 2
93 km² in the northwest of Turkey and
11 basin in the Pabuçdere basin, have been assessed
. A 3-phased method was followed in
the study. Firstly, the inventory and data base of
the field were created on Geographic
Information Systems medium and micro basins were de
termined. In the second phase,
suitability analyses were carried out on the basis
of the Ecotourism Opportunity
Spectrum (ECOS) according to 6 basic components, 15
assessment factors, and 24 sub-
criteria. In the third phase, the micro basins suit
able for ecotourism potential were
determined by creating a synthesis sheet on the fie
ld of study as a result of related
analyses and assessments, and ecotourism oriented d
evelopment strategies were
developed by utilizing the rapid rural appraisal co
nducted in the area and visitor
questionnaires as well.
Keywords:
Agricultural marketing, Geographic Information Sys
tems, Landscape planning,
Rural planning.
