**3.2.2 Local residents' attitudes toward tourism**

Among the participants whose source of income is tourism, 15% are engaged in running guesthouses, 9% in handicrafts (wood engraving, filigree, etc.), and 8% are restaurateurs (Table 4).


Table 4. Occupation of local residents whose source of income is tourism.

Amongst the primary problems faced by the participants whose source of income is tourism, the first was lack of training in tourism (13%), followed by lack of standards in the tourism sector and lack of awareness among the public about tourism (both 6%) (Figure 2).

48% of the participants are from Amasra. 54% of the parricipants have been living in Amasra for more than 20 years. In terms of source of income, 37% of the participants are

Animal

Among the participants whose source of income is tourism, 15% are engaged in running guesthouses, 9% in handicrafts (wood engraving, filigree, etc.), and 8% are restaurateurs

> Guesthouse management

Table 4. Occupation of local residents whose source of income is tourism.

Handicrafts (wood

Amongst the primary problems faced by the participants whose source of income is tourism, the first was lack of training in tourism (13%), followed by lack of standards in the tourism sector and lack of awareness among the public about tourism (both 6%) (Figure 2).

 Yes 48 No 52 1 year 7

1-3 year 12 3-5 year 6 5-10 year 10 10-15 year 6 15-20 year 5 20+ year 54

No response 2 Agriculture 1

husbandry <sup>1</sup> Commerce 7 Tourism 37 Handicrafts 1 Other 51

No response 62

engraving, filigree, etc.) <sup>9</sup> Restaurateurs 8 Hotel management 2 Other 4

**Percent (%)** 

**Percent (%)**

15

engaged in tourism, and 51% in other sectors (Table 3).

**Being from Amasra** 

**For how long they live in Amasra**

**Source of income of the** 

**3.2.2 Local residents' attitudes toward tourism** 

**Occupation of local residents whose source of income is tourism** 

**family**

Table 3. Participant demographics.

(Table 4).

Fig. 2. Primary problems faced by participants with tourism as source of income (A. Financial difficulties; B. Lack of education in tourism; C. Limitations due to Amasra's status as a protection site; D. Lack of attention from local administrations; E. Lack of standards in the tourism sector; F. Lack of branding; G. Lack of local residents' awareness regarding tourism; H. Other).

The participants indicated that the busiest months of tourism activities in Amasra are July (74%), August (61%), and June (43%).

According to the participants, the tourist demand for Amasra is due to its coastal location (31%), the historical and cultural values (30%) and natural beauty of the town and its surroundings (20%). In addition, the analysis of the ranking of the first, second and third preferences belonging to the same option revealed that the choice ''seafood restaurants'' is of prominence with values close to each other in all the three preferences of the participants (Figure 3).

86% of the participants stated that the tourism potential of Amasra is not sufficiently utilized, in constrast with 13% of the participants who thought it was sufficiently used. 1% of the participants did not answer this question.

In terms of peripheral services developing thanks to tourism, 63% of the participants ranked guesthouses as the first choice, 28% handicrafts and 19% seafood restaurants (Figure 4).

54% of the participants stated that the impact of tourism in Amasra are positive, while 7% considered the impact negative and 39% both positive and negative. Among the participants who indicated that the impact is positive, 44% thought that it is effective in the promotion of the town. According to the participants, the negative impact of tourism is due to, first, the degradation of traditional houses because of unplanned development; second, the number of visitors exceeding the carrying capacity, and third, degradation of natural and cultural areas, and visual pollution (Table 5).

Local Residents' Perceptions of and Attitudes

Creating comfortable environments with landscape design

Protection of cultural

Economic contribution to

Ensuring the continuity of

Change in local culture and

Degradation of traditional houses due to unplanned

Degradation of natural and cultural areas due to the number of visitors exceeding the carrying

Table 5. Local residents' perspective on the impact of tourism in Amasra.

(23%), and unplanned and dense urbanization (13%) (Figure 5).

The negative environmental factors that hinder the development of tourism activities were listed as some buildings with historical features in a state of neglect (32%), parking problems

development

capacity

vegetation

Degradation of the peninsula landscape and

**Positive impact of tourism in Amasra**

**Negative impact of tourism in Amasra** 

Toward Sustainable Tourism Planning and Management in Amasra (Turkey) 187

No response 7 43 67

Promotion of Amasra 44 15 5

heritage <sup>2</sup> <sup>16</sup> <sup>9</sup>

Amasra <sup>40</sup> <sup>18</sup> <sup>9</sup>

handicrafts - <sup>4</sup> <sup>6</sup> Other - - -

No response 52 69 73

traditional social structure <sup>8</sup> <sup>1</sup> <sup>1</sup>

Air pollution - 1 - Coast and sea pollution 8 8 4 Soil pollution - - 2 Visual pollution 4 3 8 Noise pollution 2 - 5 Other 4 - -

**I. Preference II. Preference III. Preference** 

**Percent (%)** 

7 4 4

15 5 4

4 9 1

3 4 2

Fig. 3. The aspects of Amasra attractive for tourists (A. Historical and cultural values; B. Coastal location; C. Handicrafts (wood engraving, filigree, etc.); D. Natural beauty of Amasra and its surroundings; E. Seafood restaurants, F. Proximity to Ankara and Safranbolu; G. Being on the routes of tourism agencies).

Fig. 4. Peripheral services developing thanks to tourism in Amasra (A. Guesthouses; B. Handicrafts (wood engraving, filigree, etc.); C. Sales of regional organic products; D. Seafood restaurants; E. Hotel-hostel management; F. Tourist ships).

Furthermore, 83% of the participants stated that there are negative environmental factors that could hinder the development of tourism activities in Amasra.

Fig. 3. The aspects of Amasra attractive for tourists (A. Historical and cultural values; B. Coastal location; C. Handicrafts (wood engraving, filigree, etc.); D. Natural beauty of Amasra and its surroundings; E. Seafood restaurants, F. Proximity to Ankara and

Fig. 4. Peripheral services developing thanks to tourism in Amasra (A. Guesthouses; B. Handicrafts (wood engraving, filigree, etc.); C. Sales of regional organic products; D.

Furthermore, 83% of the participants stated that there are negative environmental factors

Seafood restaurants; E. Hotel-hostel management; F. Tourist ships).

that could hinder the development of tourism activities in Amasra.

Safranbolu; G. Being on the routes of tourism agencies).


Table 5. Local residents' perspective on the impact of tourism in Amasra.

The negative environmental factors that hinder the development of tourism activities were listed as some buildings with historical features in a state of neglect (32%), parking problems (23%), and unplanned and dense urbanization (13%) (Figure 5).

Local Residents' Perceptions of and Attitudes

Toward Sustainable Tourism Planning and Management in Amasra (Turkey) 189

The majority of the participants stated that urban development is incompatible with the natural and historical pattern of the city and that city walls, historic buildings and artifacts discovered in archaeological excavations are significant contributions to the historical and cultural values of the city. In addition, the state of neglect of the historical buildings of the city was as a prominent opinion. 90% of the participants stated that the natural and cultural

> **Percent (%)**

> > 12

73

 No response 1 Yes 20 No 79

No response 2

and building height <sup>12</sup>

Other 1

Yes 90

No 10

Yes 7 No 93

They limit land use

They are obstacles

They are important historical and cultural values contributing to Amasra

to urban development in

Amasra

**3.2.3 Local residents' perspectives on the natural and cultural values in Amasra** 

values should be protected for sustainable tourism in Amasra (Table 7).

**Whether new urban development is compatible with the natural and historical pattern of Amasra**

**Perspectives on the city walls, historical buildings and historical artifacts discovered by** 

**the archeological excavations in Amasra**

**Whether it is necessary to protect the natural and cultural values of Amasra for sustainable** 

**Whether the historical buildings and spaces are** 

Table 7. Local residents' perspectives on the natural and cultural values of Amasra.

The participants who indicated that the historical buildings and spaces in Amasra are in a state of neglect stated the reason as lack of local residents' awareness regarding protection (43%), lack of interest by the authorities (23%), and insufficient financial resources (20%)

**in a state of neglect in Amasra** 

**tourism** 

(Table 8).

Fig. 5. Negative environmental factors that hinder the development of tourism activities in Amasra. (A. Some buildings with historical features in a state of neglect; B. Unplanned and dense urbanization; C. Parking problems; D. Sewerage; E. Visual pollution; F. Coastal and marine pollution; G. Air pollution; H. Overcrowding and noise; I. Degradation of the nature due to summer houses; J. Degradation of the nature due to road construction works; K. Difficulties in transport; L. Soil pollution; M. Problems due to physical planning and practice; N. Environmental problems caused by Turkish Hard Coal Authority; O. Other).

According to the participants, the forms of tourism that could be developed in Amasta are cultural tourism (61%), sea tourism (17%), and ecotourism (12%) (Table 6).


Table 6. Local residents' perspectives on the forms of tourism that could be developed in Amasra.

Fig. 5. Negative environmental factors that hinder the development of tourism activities in Amasra. (A. Some buildings with historical features in a state of neglect; B. Unplanned and dense urbanization; C. Parking problems; D. Sewerage; E. Visual pollution; F. Coastal and marine pollution; G. Air pollution; H. Overcrowding and noise; I. Degradation of the nature due to summer houses; J. Degradation of the nature due to road construction works; K. Difficulties in transport; L. Soil pollution; M. Problems due to physical planning and practice; N. Environmental problems caused by Turkish Hard Coal Authority; O. Other).

According to the participants, the forms of tourism that could be developed in Amasta are

**I. Preference** 

Table 6. Local residents' perspectives on the forms of tourism that could be developed in

No response 3 29 56 Cultural tourism 61 7 - Culinary tourism 4 4 2 Rural tourism 3 5 5 Sea tourism 17 23 9 Nature tourism 12 31 27 Other - 1 1

**II. Preference** 

**Percent (%)** 

**III. Preference** 

cultural tourism (61%), sea tourism (17%), and ecotourism (12%) (Table 6).

**Forms of tourism that could be developed in Amasra**

Amasra.
