**DATUR Uzungöl Tourism Development Project**

DATUR is the Eastern Anatolia Tourism Development Project initiated by Efes Beverage Group, part of Anadolu Holding, with the support of United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Carried out between 2003 and 2006, the project aimed at reducing the regional unevenness in the Çoruh Valley in North-Eastern Anatolia by developing community-based tourism as an economic activity that could both be an alternative to agriculture and increase the value added of agricultural sector and at making the local community benefit from the produced income to the utmost. The activities within the scope of the project concentrated on

Tourism Planning in Rural Areas and Organization Possibilities 145

local people. In addition, in rural cooperatives creates employment for rural development in

Activating the local potential, getting women to take part in their organizations and generating activities for income increase significance of these organizations (Özdemir, Kiper

Rural tourism is a good opportunity for agricultural based communities but the setting of objectives and the final tourism development plan needs caution. For better results the whole range of the stakeholders have to participate in the planning stage. Slow and stable steps needs for this kind of planning in order conflicts and mistakes to be avoided (Douglas & Derrett, 2001; Mathieson & Wall, 1992; Butler, Hall& Jenkins,1998; Richards & Hall, 2000). In the broadest definition, planning is organizing the future to achieve certain objectives' (Inskeep, 1991). In other words planning may be explained as deciding for the future by the knowledge of past and now. Planning action includes various aims including economic development planning, urban and regional planning, land use planning and infrastructure

By the tourism plans, precautions and tools that are deemed necessary for tourism

Tourism plans provide assurance for the financial resources and opportunities that the

Tourism plans provide the dispersion of the responsibilities and the control on

If rural tourism is considered to have economically, socio-culturally and environmentally positive impacts on the region, it is clear that it is definitely necessary to utilize rural tourism potential. Traditional production styles should be arranged according to needs of rural

The issue is sustainable use and conservation. In the attempts of conservation; the views, opinions and active participations of the local people must also be obtained. This is because a step taken without considering conditions of the local people or the practices influencing their economic and sociological life styles might lead to the worse results. Starting from these, in all these practices, policies and investments taking the priorities of the local people into consideration and making them an active actor would make protective and sustainable precautions more active. Forests have not contributed the district economically. Within this scope, some recommendations have been made to increase ecotourism opportunities to be developed in rural areas.The forest areas should be preserved and evaluated within the scope of rural tourism. Old houses should be preserved via lodging and boutique hotel

In order to hand down the natural and cultural heritage of the local people, who pursue their traditional life styles without losing cultural infrastructures, to the next generations,

development are identified through the identification of future objectives Tourism plans provide a disciplinary order for the achievement of the objectives

The benefits of tourism planning for a country (Gürsoy, 2006):

tourism and should be integrated with rual tourism.

rural areas.

&Başaran 2009).

**9. Conclusion** 

planning etc.

activity requires

implications

identity in tourism.

rendering the Çoruh Valley, which has a cultural heritage and natural wealth, an ecotourism destination point in demand by both the domestic and foreign tourists (Anonymous, 2009b). The project team provided consultancy in issues such as organization, legislation forming, and determining an action plan to the 4 non-governmental organizations that were in the establishment stage within the project (Uzundere Sapanca Association, İspir Sra Konaklar Tourism Association, İspir Women's Association, Uzundere Women's Labor Association).

With the mobility created by the project, 18 new guesthouses went into operation and the local community opened up their houses to foreign tourists as guesthouses in the Çoruh Valley, extending from Uzundere to İspir to Yusufeli. The local youth and the women actively participated in the tourism sector also thanks to the provided educational training. The foot paths between Uzundere-İspir-Yusufeli-Ayder (Çamlhemşin) were merged to determine trekking tour routes in the form of a spider web and 23 local youngsters were trained as guides specifically.

#### **Ecological Agriculture Tourism Education Project**

Ecological Agriculture Tourism Project is a European Union support project with a budget of 62.000 Euro. 9 educators from Samsun 19 Mays University Faculty of Agriculture were assigned to the project and the training took place in Uzungöl with the participation of 28 women and 12 men. Since mostly women are involved in agriculture, running guesthouses and hotels in the town, the majority of the participants were women. Not only the participants did have training, but they also went to ecological agriculture farms in all around Turkey to examine them on site. Some facilities that are engaged in both ecological agriculture and tourisy accommodation in Kuşadas and Fethiye were visited. Moreover, course certificates were provided (Anonymous, 2009c).

#### **Halfeti Eco Tourism Project**

Initiated by GAP Regional Development Administration, the project aimed at, among others, establishing eco tourism infrastructure in Halfeti in the province of Şanlurfa in order to give prominence to characteristics and cultural richness of the rural area and its inhabitants, and to provide socio-economic development and employment by creating income earning employment opportunities for the local community. In addition, contributing to the revitalization and the utilization of the regional tourism and helping protect the environment are among the goals.

The following were included within the scope of the project: founding Halfeti Eco Tourism Women's Cooperative, restoration of some selected unique Halfeti houses to be used for accommodation, promotion of traditional product production (food, medicinal herbs, handicrafts etc.) to endow the local community with skills, provision of theoretical and practical trainings on "running guesthouses", "traditional product production and presentation" and "eco tourism" to raise the awareness of the local community (Anonymous, 2009d).

Rural Development within the concept of sustainable economic, social, cultural and environmental development is considered. In addition, rural development is an important factor in increasing levels of prosperity in rural areas. At this point, all this is carried out with rural tourism organizations. An established co-operative organization, especially in rural tourism is used as important requirement in achieving these objectives. Participation and democracy in cooperatives play an important role for sustainability development of the local people. In addition, in rural cooperatives creates employment for rural development in rural areas.

Activating the local potential, getting women to take part in their organizations and generating activities for income increase significance of these organizations (Özdemir, Kiper &Başaran 2009).
