**9. Materials and methods**

Occupying 1088.61 hectares in the Ilgaz Mountain National Park Western Black Sea Region, Kastamonu and Cankiri are located within the boundaries of the province as shown in **Figure 1**. Hosted naturally, these regions hold an important position in the regional and national scale of cultural and recreational resource values. Ilgaz Mountain National Park, comprising 750.86 hectares of Kastamonu and 337.75 hectares of Cankiri, is located in the province. The national park has a forest cover dominated by coniferous trees. Scots pine and fir are the common tree species. Thrush may also occur in public areas. In the field, wild animals such as wolves, foxes, deer, roe deer, lynx, and wild boar are known to be found [50–52].

**Figure 1.** Location of the study area.

The Ilgaz Mountain region is the work area and constitutes the material of study. Areas with natural and cultural elements carry attractive features and provide the potential for tourism and recreational activities. The study was used to create a map using the Arc GIS software. A topographic map of the area of assessment as indicated on the map in **Figure 2** was obtained in the present study of Ilgaz Mountain, and can be developed for tourism and recreational activities. To reveal areas of natural and cultural structure, the observations were made from the photographs taken of the place. Evaluations for research included ecotourism and recreational areas under development, and recommendations were made in light of sustain‐ ability.

Assessing Potential Areas of Ecotourism through a Case Study in Ilgaz Mountain National Park http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/62573 91

**Figure 2.** Ilgaz Mountain National Park's topographic map.

Ilgaz Mountain's natural and cultural heritage has been reviewed, and ecotourism has been carried out for inventory study. There are two basic methods of the study that provide additional content. One of them is applying the methodology of the GIS application to be performed in a computerized environment, and the other involves the land where they work. Land studies and the GIS graph database created in 1/25000 scale topographic maps were used. Then, the collected data and ecotourism models for Ilgaz Mountain along with the analysis were proposed.

First, this study examined the awareness levels of tourists on the conservation status in Ilgaz Mountain sporting opportunities. The information about the source values and general status of Ilgaz Mountain was given by performance data. Second, opportunities, threats, strengths, and weaknesses were identified by performing a SWOT analysis [53].

Data collection, analysis of natural and cultural values, and surveys to determine awareness were carried out together by SWOT analysis [54]. Results and suggestions of Ilgaz Mountain ecotourism were reached out by planning and management of it after evaluation of the survey, SWOT, and GIS maps.

The region has been pushed forward by the expression of research and ecotourism potential of the immediate environment and the protection of ecotourism resources in the framework of sustainable tourism approach of the population, and identified ideas for planning and development proposals were presented.
