Local community involvement in rural tourism development: The case of Kastamonu, Turkey
Publisher: PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural
Volume: 8 pages, pdf
Description:
Rural tourism development is in its initial stages of development in Turkey (Karabati et al., 2009). There is a widespread recognition of the need to diversify the tourism product and develop alternative forms of tourism. Furthermore, massive migration from rural to urban areas, economic and social changes in rural areas as a result of the signifi cant decline in the share of agricultural output and employment in the total economy and inequality in income distribution have generated an interest in rural development. There seems to be a consensus that rural tourism can be used as a tool to address the complex problems of rural areas. Various government agencies in Turkey, such as the State Planning Organization, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Ministry of Environment and Forestry, refer to rural tourism development among their priority aims in the coming years. A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and private initiatives are working to create recognition of ecological values and to develop pilot projects.