Abstract
Urban Ecotourism and Applicability in Isparta City
Urban ecotourism has come to the forefront in the context of protecting existing urban ecological values, ensuring its sustainability, providing service to urban people and to the city within the scope of urban tourism. Urban ecotourism provides many social, economic, ecological and environmental benefits such as the strengthening of local experiences, aggregation of human communities from different cultures, gaining importance of local values, revitalization of local and regional economies, discovering new places and raising awareness towards natural environment. Natural areas and cultural values of the city are potential resources that can be evaluated for ecotourism activities. In this study, natural and cultural assets of Isparta and its surroundings were examined and recommendations were made for the development of urban ecotourism. For this reason, value groups were identified in Isparta city scale; green areas, cultural values, natural and forest areas and other values. According to this values ecotourism activities in Isparta city center and its surroundings are trekking, mountain biking, plant and wildlife observation, nature photography, orienteering, planting studies, erosion prevention studies, street animal care and improvement activities, garbage collection, rose gathering and others.
Keywords
Urban ecotourism, green areas, action plan, Isparta.
