A Research on the Impacts of Cultural Tourism: The Case of Tirilye

Abstract

The tourism industry has a multidimensional impact on destinations. The economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism are interrelated. Therefore, in this study, local people's perceptions about the economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism are investigated. The study area is Tirilye, a neighborhood in the Mudanya district of Bursa province. Tirilye, an ancient Greek settlement, is a developed destination in terms of cultural tourism. Local people are stakeholders directly affected by tourism. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the perceptions of local people about the impacts of cultural tourism. A mixed method design was used in the study. A survey was conducted with 93 local people residing in Tirilye using face-toface interviews. In addition, 10 people were interviewed. In this study, the findings on the impact of tourism in Tirilye are discussed by comparing them with the findings obtained from theoretical and empirical research. The main results obtained from the study are evaluated under three headings: economic, sociocultural, and environmental impacts of tourism. Local people have a high perception of positive economic impacts. According to the findings, cultural tourism provides income to local businesses, increases income levels and diversifies the economy in Tirilye. Local people are more neutral regarding sociocultural and environmental impacts. Based on the research findings, suggestions have been made for tourism development and planning in Tirilye.