Özet:

Api tourism is an authentic alternative tourism type that is a showcase for beekeeping tradition and strengthens the bond with nature, culture and society that enriches one’s life. Api tourism which is a new and intresting type of tourism for individuals is an indication that the tourism phenomenon is not only composed of the sea-sand-sun trio and that this phenomenon can also be realized in rural areas where today’s agricultural society maintains its life. In this study, the concept of api tourism has been examined and it has been tried to evaluate how api tourism will affect the rural development of the district if it is implemented, based on the example of Marmaris district of Muğla province, which is the application area. In order to strengthen the relationship between api tourism and rural development, semi-structured interview technique was used in the study, and in this context, the opinions of the local administration and local beekeepers were taken. Since api tourism is not a type of tourism realized in Marmaris yet, the snowball qualitative sampling method, which is a non-random sampling method of the qualitative research methods, was used to determine the participants of the research who had knowledge about the subject. The development of api tourism creates important opportunities to mobilize rural areas, create new jobs, and support the tradition and culture of rural areas while respecting regional differences. Api tourism is an innovative form of tourism that provides new jobs suitable for the working area, supports local infrastructure development, and offers opportunities to small beekeepers in rural areas in terms of regional promotion. Api (bee) tours organized under the name of this tourism provide an idea about the nature, heritage, traditions, cuisine, and hospitality of the different regions of the country they are organized and provide their representation.

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