Özet:

The purpose of this research is to determine the roles of tourism entrepreneurs who operate in the areas that can be assessed within the rural tourism framework of the Akçakoca district, which enters the way to become Cittaslow (Peaceful City), and to assess whether they contribute to regional development. The sub-purpose of the study is to address the fundamental problems of tourism entrepreneurs, identify the elements that threaten tourism entrepreneurship and present suggestions for the development and increase of tourism entrepreneurs in the Akçakoca district. In the study, the data was obtained by consulting 18 tourism entrepreneurs with the semi-structured interview technique. The research finds that tourism entrepreneurs play an effective role in both regional development and the development of tourism in the region. Tourism entrepreneurs, thanks to the they have established, contribute to the increase in income in the region, the formation of new employment opportunities and the increase in the level of visitors’ satisfaction. Contrary to these positive results, the conclusion has been made that the local governments are not sufficient in the framework of promoting and developing tourism entrepreneurship. In this context, the identification of entrepreneurs active in the tourism sector and the determination of their contribution to regional development in the areas with tourism potential makes this work important in terms of the importance of investments in the tourism sector for the region.

Anahtar Kelimeler: