Abstract:

Rural development moves are movements seen in all economies. Opinions on the possibility of rural development with agriculture and agriculture-based industry started to change with the involvement of tourism. Today, tourism has become an important source of income for Turkey, especially in the Aegean and Mediterranean Regions, besides agriculture. In many rural areas, tourism has overtaken agriculture and the agricultural visibility of the countryside (as in Bodrum and Marmaris) has been lost. The aim of this study is to reveal the importance of tourism as a second source of income apart from agriculture and animal husbandry in reducing rural poverty. One of the methods used to ensure rural development and reduce rural poverty is to bring the tourism values of the countryside to light and develop them. While examining this subject, firstly definitions were given and it was mentioned what development, poverty and tourism are. In addition to the few studies in rural areas in Turkey, rural tourism studies are almost non-existent. With this aspect, the study aimed to contribute to the existing literature. The place chosen as the research universe is Yatağan District of Muğla Province. The appearance of Yatağan as a mining town began to disappear after the privatization of the thermal power plant, and the historical (ruins) sites and unique towns (such as Bozüyük, Belen and Yava) of the district, especially those dating back to the Bronze Age, became places worth visiting and seeing. Osman Hamdi Bey, the founder of Turkish Museology, made his first studies in this district and the first finds were sent to the Istanbul Archeology Museum and are still exhibited here. Even this situation alone is enough to reveal the value of Yatağan in terms of tourism. The findings in Yatağan are presented as fieldwork and case studies in the article. By photographing Yatağan's historical and touristic places, it is aimed that the reader has more information about the subject. Yatağan, which is an example of typical rural life in the Aegean Region, has historical, geographical and demographic characteristics, tourism places, ruins, subsistence economy, educational status and tourism statistics. It has been tried to offer solutions for the economic aspect of the problems in the countryside, and rural tourism, which is one of the non-agricultural elements, has been examined in this context.

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