Özet:

This article explores the perceptions of the local people about the opportunities and difficulties in the development of cultural tourism in Bilecik City. The work area is located in the southeastern part of Bilecik City Marmara Region and the city consists of twelve districts. It has been a scene of the rule of many civilizations and peoples throughout history. It is the place where the Ottoman Empire was established, which ruled over the three continents for 600 years and is a cihan state. With the increased interest in cultural tourism in recent years and the introductive impact of historical series, cultural tourism in Bilecik City has begun to revive. Tourism, local public economic, socio-cultural, etc. It is useful in various matters.  The positive and negative effects of tourism are directly reflected by the local public. Therefore, in the success of the policies on the development of tourism in some places, the views of the local people are of importance. The local people are the stakeholders who know the best of the resources in their regions. Therefore, this study aims to take the views of the local people on the opportunities and difficulties facing the development of cultural tourism in Bilecik City. Thus it is believed that Bilecik City will contribute to the development of a tourism understanding in accordance with its cultural and hereditary characteristics. In the study, the data was collected through local public survey. The surveys were applied to 400 local residents selected by the easy sampling method in April 2019. Participants have pointed out that the main opportunity for the development of cultural tourism is the establishment of the Ottoman Empire of Bilecik, the presence of promotional series, the presence of the turbs and tombs of important persons and the traces of the Liberation War. As the most important difficulties mentioned in the development of cultural tourism, they pointed out the lack of contemporary cultural tourism attractions and museums, the lack of marketing and financing. Furthermore, the lack of a tourist qualification to traditional food and crafts has been highlighted as one of the leading challenges in the development of cultural tourism. According to the data obtained, to increase the volume of cultural tourism in Bilecik City, increase the promotion activities, festivals, concerts, etc. The event will be enhanced, an establishment of a museum on silk insects, the reanimation of crafts and local foods.

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