Why Do So Few Local People Visit National Parks? Examining Constraints to Antalya’s National Parks, Turkey

Year 2018, , 92 - 110, 20.07.2018

Güney Çetinkaya , Mustafa Yıldız , Mehmet Ali Özçelik

https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.390456

Cited By: 4

Abstract

National parks are
considered to be the significant tourism and recreation areas that are widely
used in many countries. Although these areas are widespread in Turkey, it is
thought that their resource value is thought to be underestimated. For this
reason the purpose of this research is to identify the constraints in regards
to use of national parks by local people and study the effects of demographic
features on constraints. Since Antalya possesses a good number of areas to be
used as national parks in Turkey, a mixed method research was designed. In the
first stage of the study 100 people who were chosen as samples in Antalya have
been interviewed. In the second stage a questionnaire was conducted to 2367
people. As the theoretical framework of the study, a three-dimensional leisure
constraints model was used. In the study lack of information/facilities
(structural) is the main restrictive aspect for the people’s use of national
parks. It is established that this was followed, respectively, by
accessibility/finance (structural), maintenance (structural), social
(interpersonal) and individual/psychological (intrapersonal) aspects. It is
also established that demographic features such as; sex, age, marital status,
having a child, income and education levels effect use of national parks. After
all, existence of structural constraints and dominant national park use are
assumed to be advantageous in constraint management. It is suggested, within
this coverage that the Turkish National Parks and the Tourism Authorities
should change their management strategies on the matter.

Keywords

Outdoor recreation, national parks, leisure constraints, local people, Antalya, Turkey

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