Abstract:

The Lavender Valley in Kuyucak village of Keçiborlu district of the province of Isparta has attracted the attention of local and foreign tourists in recent years. It is seen that the lavender valley which is included in the rural tourism activities is very important in the recent increasing touristic demand to visit the village. It is also seen that destinations with historical, cultural and natural charms in Isparta and nearby provinces are important factors on tourists visiting the village. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the importance of rural tourism in Lavender Valley, which is located in Kuyucak village of the Lakes Region and is a center of interest for domestic and foreign tourists due to its visual beauty. It was also aimed to study contributions of rural tourism to rural people in Kuyucak. In line with this aim, a literature review has been done on the potential of lavender valley in terms of rural tourism and the tourism activities that can be implemented in the village. Interviews were held with the local people living in the village at different times of the year. Interview and observation techniques were applied as a qualitative research method. In-depth interviewing technique was used in qualitative research section. Two forms were used as data collection tools. In the first form, questions were asked about the demographics of the interviewees. In the second form, an interview form containing semi-structured questions was used. As a result, sufficient answers were taken about the problems of the village of Kuyucak, the promotion of the village and the expectations of the local people about tourism. Necessary policy suggestions were presented within the framework of these answers

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