**4. Relationship between rural tourism and natural-cultural environment**

Tourism and environment are representing common relationship concepts. Successful tourism activity needs clean and orderly environment (Kiper 2006). Rural tourism is both entagled with rural settlements and is based on natural resources (Soykan 2003).

Rural tourism, natural resources, cultural heritage, rural lifestyle and an integrated tourism is a type of local economic activities. Therefore, rural tourism in rural areas was carried out with a number of elements in their natural landscape and cultural landscape (water, vista, topography, vegetation, clean air), as well as in the variety of recreational activities suitable for all kinds of environments. Therefore, rural tourism and its natural assets and raw materials to create, as well as directing people to travel is an attractive force (Kiper, Özyavuz & Korkut 2011).

Natural and cultural landscape values form a basis for rural tourism. These values are geographical position, micro-climatic conditions, existence of water, natural beauties, existence of natural vegetation, existence of wildlife, surface features, geomorphologic structure, local food, festivals and pageants, traditional agricultural structure, local handicrafts, regional dress culture, historical events and people, heritage appeals, architectural variety, traditional music and folk dance, artistic activities and so on (Gerry, 2001; Lane, 1993; Lanquar, 1995; Soykan, 1999; Brassoulis, 2002; Catibog-Sinha & Wen, 2008; Mlynarczyk, 2002; Drzewiecki, 2001, Kiper, T. 2006; Kiper, Korkut & Ylmaz, 2011).

Relationship between rural tourism and natural - cultural environment in Figure 3.

Adventure- emphasis on activity

Nature based- primarily viewing of natural landscape

Wildlife- primarily viewing of wildlife

Ecotourism- includes educative and conservation supprting elements Rural tourism- primarily viewing of natural and cultural landscape

Fig. 3. An overview of tourism (Dowling, Moore, Newsome 2002)

Tourism Planning in Rural Areas and Organization Possibilities 133

Fig. 5. Natural vegetation cover

Fig. 6. Natural vegetation structure

According to Weaver and Opperman (2000) tourism attractiveness is form of two: natural and cultural.

Natural attractiveness: the topography (mountains, canyons, beaches, caves, volcanoes, fossil sites, etc..), (Fig.4), climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity and so on. ), hydrology (lakes, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, etc..), wildlife (mammals, birds, insects, etc..), the natural vegetation structure (Fig.5, Fig.6)

Cultural attractiveness: Archeological heritage (castle, cave, bridge etc.), religious structures (mosque, monastery etc.), conventional architecture, folkloric values, gastronomy, etc.

Rural tourism resources vary with the geographical, it mostly with natural style, toiling morphology, farm life and tradition primarily. It is affected by the climate and the seasons, so can satisfy tourist various needs. Rural tourism cultural resources include folk festivals, crafts, folk architecture, folk art, marriage customs, fun legends, and so on (Fan &Yang, 2011).

According to Tane and Therhemer tourism in natural environments is mostly practiced by nature lovers that prefer isolation instead of urban crowds, and silence instead of the noise of tourist resorts. Being directly connected to rural tourism, it takes place in partially or completely isolated areas (mountain, sea, delta), being mostly destined to young or adult tourists.

Fig. 4. Topographic structure

According to Weaver and Opperman (2000) tourism attractiveness is form of two: natural

Natural attractiveness: the topography (mountains, canyons, beaches, caves, volcanoes, fossil sites, etc..), (Fig.4), climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity and so on. ), hydrology (lakes, rivers, waterfalls, hot springs, etc..), wildlife (mammals, birds, insects, etc..), the

Cultural attractiveness: Archeological heritage (castle, cave, bridge etc.), religious structures (mosque, monastery etc.), conventional architecture, folkloric values, gastronomy, etc.

Rural tourism resources vary with the geographical, it mostly with natural style, toiling morphology, farm life and tradition primarily. It is affected by the climate and the seasons, so can satisfy tourist various needs. Rural tourism cultural resources include folk festivals, crafts, folk architecture, folk art, marriage customs, fun legends, and so on (Fan &Yang, 2011). According to Tane and Therhemer tourism in natural environments is mostly practiced by nature lovers that prefer isolation instead of urban crowds, and silence instead of the noise of tourist resorts. Being directly connected to rural tourism, it takes place in partially or completely

isolated areas (mountain, sea, delta), being mostly destined to young or adult tourists.

and cultural.

natural vegetation structure (Fig.5, Fig.6)

Fig. 4. Topographic structure

Fig. 5. Natural vegetation cover

Fig. 6. Natural vegetation structure

Tourism Planning in Rural Areas and Organization Possibilities 135

access to resources of welfare and livelihood services. Optimum usages of environmental, economical and production potentials of rural areas for improving income and welfare can be efficient in reaching the goal of reducing the rural immigration. Rural tourism is a part of tourism market and is a source of employment and income. Also it can be presented as a

Declining economic activity, restructuring of the agricultural sector, dwindling rural industrialisation and out-migration of higher educated youth, has led to the adoption, in many western nations, of tourism as an alternative development strategy for the economic and social regeneration of rural areas (Pompl & Lavery, 1993; Williams & Shaw, 1991;

Rural tourism in one of the forms of sustainable development that through promoting productivity in rural zones, brings about employment, income distribution, preservation of village environment and local culture, raising host community's participation and presenting appreciate methods to conform beliefs and traditional values with new

Sustainable development is a process having economic, social, cultural and environmental–ecological dimensions. This process is perceived as a development in all respects for both urban and rural societies. Yet, in most of the developing countries rural population is gradually diminishing, notwithstanding the agricultural lands that are losing productivity are increasing. While this situation primarily results in increasing impoverishment of rural society, it also causes problems such as deforestation, erosion and productivity loss with the misuse of resources. On the other hand, damaging the natural resources emerge problems such as migration, poverty and hunger. These problems primarily affect rural people. Most affected ones by these problems are women and children. Overcoming these problems would be possible by sustainable planning and management of rural areas in accordance with their resource potential (Golley and Bellot,

Rural tourism has a positive impact on agricultural development, farmers' incomes and the standard of living in rural areas. However, one important issue is how to reach a consensus among local government, farmers' associations, and individual farmers on what kind of

Agro-tourism represents a real opportunity for the local economy, the main motivation in training and development initiatives, the traditional activities that have long been neglected, of crafts, the strengthening and development of local artistic creations, linking to friends, material needs and spiritual needs of tourists, local economic activities stimulated life.

Rural household translates offer accommodation and services and creates motivation agro household to prepare and arrange inside and outside the household to obtain revenue, stimulate peasant to invest in their own household, to develop complementary activities of its concerns. The villager will compete, will carry from now on business in a competitive environment and will be forced to become competitive, increase the quality of their services

Today, Villages are one of the resources, attracting the attention of tourism planners more than ever. Those with some specific cultural, natural or social appeal have a very strong

projects to promote, and how they should be funded and operated (Hong, 1998).

significant tool for the socio-economical development of rural areas.

Hannigan, 1994; Dernoi, 1991; Wickens, 1999)

and products to be applied (Munteanu, 2007).

circumstances (Kanaani, 2005).

1999).

Tourism in natural environments creates the possibility for tourists to practice climbing, fishing, hunting or other sports like dirt track, canoe racing, sky diving etc.

The relationship between rural tourism and other tourism forms practiced in the rural environment is extremely important, because it establishes the connections between natural, human, economical and social parameters, in order to insure all factors that lead to tourist growth and durable development (Tane Thierheimer, 2009).

According to Butler and Hall, to speak about rural tourism in a place, an economically viable rural population sustaining rural culture and identity through being engaged in rural activities is a prerequisite.

For, the target group will be the local community who is both the most influenced by tourism in the region and is the most influential on it. Certain states such as participation and embracing are prerequisites for sustainability (Kiper, 2011).
