Sustainable tourism could make significant contributions to the quality of the environment,
economic development, and the well-being of the host community while providing a
high-quality experience for the visitor and/or tourist if it is implied properly (Lim and
McAleer 2005). With appropriate management and planning, the application of this kind of
tourism based on the natural and cultural environment could be rather beneficial for
developing countries.
Just as in the whole of Turkey, there is a need for the development of sustainable
tourism in C¸ anakkale. The reason of this is because many destinations in Turkey (e.g.
Pamukkale, Kus¸adası) have lost their value, as a result of the negative impacts that mass
tourism has brought during the last years. Although there is no such a loss in C¸ anakkale,
except for some areas with the pressure of secondary housing, there is an increasing
demand for the destinations of C¸ anakkale by domestic and foreign visitors. Besides there is
a potential threat for the agricultural areas resulting from economic problems of the
farmers and unplanned development.
As in other countries and regions, the opportunities that sustainable tourism provides for
local development, employment and income are favorable for Turkey as well. The
protected areas of Turkey have a great potential for this type of tourism with its naturalcultural
resources and recreation opportunities. Consequently, it would be advantageous if
nature-based tourism would be applied with proper management and planning in the many
regions of Turkey, such as C¸ anakkale.
It is possible to contribute to the income and local development of the indigenous
people in C¸ anakkale by developing nature-based tourism. Besides, with the sustainable use
and preservation of the natural-cultural assets of C¸ anakkale, the damage of the traditional
tourism industry on the natural and cultural environment could be reduced.
Although there are some enterprises of the government and local authorities towards
this kind of tourism that aims to conserve the natural-cultural resources while taking
advantage of them, they are not satisfying enough. Many destinations in C¸ anakkale are
waiting to be monitored, evaluated, planned and managed appropriately in order to
maintain the natural and cultural resources.
In planning nature-based tourism, it is important to match the numbers and types of
nature tourists with the characteristics of the destination, understanding customer groups,
their motivations and characteristics (Koeman 1998). Similar studies should be made in
C¸ anakkale in order to give the right decisions and be successful in developing sustainable
tourism.
The government policy should be in the direction of providing sustainability and supporting
nature-based tourism in Turkey. Presentations and educative activities should be
arranged for the concept of nature-based tourism in local, regional and national scales. This
is especially necessary for the local communities of the destinations. Besides, the training
of every authority to work on this subject should be the primary concern.
The quality of the destinations should be increased and the historical assets of the
destinations should be preserved and developed with the income from tourism. The
infrastructure and transportation network should be improved and developed. During these
improvements, the ecologic and natural structure of the destinations should not be damaged
in any instance. Any facility to be made in these areas should be controlled by strict
regulations