Urbanization pressures in protected heritage sites and tourism-driven landscape changea case study of olympos, turkey

Abstract

The overall objective of the study is to generate understanding of processes and mechanisms of evolution of heritage tourism destinations in rural and protected areas and provide operational implementations for heritage tourism planning and management. To achieve this, a five-dimensional model is proposed and tested. The stages in the evolutionary process of Olympos Tourism Area (OTA) and the modus operandi of the process have been revealed. Also, the environmental consequences of tourism development and their role in the process are investigated. The experiences and social reactions od residents and local businesses in the area analysed to understand the impacts of legal sanctions that are related to conservation and protection practices. In addition, the development of local tourism businesses and the turning points in the evolution process investigated. The consumption characteristics of demand side and tourist typology are determined. Moreover, spatial development of tourism facilities in the area analysed to enhance the understanding of the phenomenon. Finally, bottom-up and top-down approaches are compared to achieve success through community participation in heritage tourism planning and management. Both qualitative and quantitative methodologies are employed in thesis study. The research is conducted by using integrative reviewing, GIS-based spatial analysing, surveying and semi-structured interviewing methods. Olympos/Antalya in Turkey is chosen as case study area. The questions that were related to indicators of five dimensions of heritage tourism destination (HTD) development are posed through semi-structured interviews. The responses are analysed manually. In addition, orthographic photos are analysed in GIS applications such as QGIS, ArcGIS and ENVI and spatial transformations identified. Moreover, a survey is conducted to clarify mutation in heritage tourist typology in parallel with the evolution process of the destination. The results showed that socio-cultural, economic, environmental, spatial and consumption characteristics of a HTD are changing interrelatedly and the causing stage changes in evolutionary process. The tourismification of protected areas advances under specific legal frameworks that are related to conservation and protection concerns. The overall results of the study showed that two inversive philosophies take place in modus operandi of the tourismification process. The stage changes occur related to a balance between “transformative” and “preservative” actions and practices.