Yerel Kalkınmanın Bir Aracı Olarak Kültür Turizmi ve Kültür Rotaları: Vezirköprü Yöresi Örneği (Cultural Tourism and Cultural Routes as an Instrument of Local Development: The Case of Vezirköprü Area)

Abstract

Turkey has many cultural routes that offer rich and impressive examples of the world's common heritage. These routes offer important opportunities for sustainable local development with their economic, social, environmental and cultural effects. This study focuses on the local culture routes that can be developed in the case of Vezirköprü (Samsun) region as a cultural tourism product. Initially, the main characteristics of the culture routes were explained and the main factors affecting the development of these routes were introduced. The study aims to present the natural, historical and cultural values of Vezirköprü region as a touristic product with the help of cultural routes in the context of the relationship between culture and tourism and to make local cultural heritage more visible. The method of Cultural Route Planning Model was used in the study. This model consists of (1) infrastructure, (2) overview, (3) planning and (4) management stages. As a result of the study, five cultural routes at local level in Vezirköprü were designed using the Cultural Route Planning Model. Besides, it has been concluded that the Kunduz Mountain Route can be integrated into the national Gastronomy Route and the Nerik-Şahinkaya Canyon Route into the national the Hittite Route.