The effect of api tourism within the scope of agro tourism on rural development: The case of Marmaris

Today, individuals are conscious of protecting natural life as they attach importance to a more livable, sustainable and ecological environment, and they have started to be interested in rural life within the framework of this understanding. In the light of all these developments, alternative tourism types have come to the forefront in the tourism sector and the concept of api tourism, one of the tourism types that can be considered within the scope of agro tourism, has emerged. Api tourism is about an authentic travel that is a showcase for the beekeeping tradition and strengthens the bond with nature, culture and society that enriches one's life. Api tourism, new and intreresting type of tourism for individuals, indicates that the tourism phenomenon is not only about sea-sand-sun trio and that this phenomenon can be realized in rural areas where agricultural society and culture sustains. Therefore, api tourism brings a new perspective to the country's tourism sector, ıt plays a role to diversifies the tourism and especially supports the development of rural areas in both economic and socio-cultural contexts and thus contributes to rural development. In this study, the concept of api tourism, has been examined in detail, and based on the example of Muğla/Marmaris district. It has been tried to evaluate the effects of api tourism on the rural development, utilizing the example of Muğla/Marmaris. In order to strengthen the relationship of api tourism with rural development, semi-structured interview technique was used in the study, and in this context, the opinions of the local administration and local beekeepers were taken. Since api tourism is not a type of tourism realized in Marmaris yet, the snowball qualitative sampling method, which is a non-coincidental sampling method, was used to determine the participants of the research who had knowledge about the subject. Finally, the data obtained were interpreted to look at the picture as a whole with induction.