The Place and importance of sports activites on thermal tourism development

IV ABSTRACT During history, water has been one of the most important element for people to lead their lives. Since the primitive times, water has taken part as a very necessary element with different using forms. *In this process, the using forms of water has varied-sometimes it has been a power which made the turbins active and sometimes it has been used as on enjoyment element which gives pleasure. (E.G. in Nargiles, in Ottoman culture) Thermals, which developed with in Turkish culture, are very simple but usefull places that don't have luxury characteristics (in general). Altough the hamams only using for hygiene aims, the thermals had been using alse for treatment. Until 1970's, the thermals used according to the customs and traditions. But now, the sensitive on health is changing, "Sport For Health" slogan ise spredding and the sports are prefered as peisure activities. Because of these events, it takes part in the first step of the health tourism. The aim of our thesis is analysing the importance of the sports at the development of tourism and seheralise the using of thermals with activities. And we made a questionnaire with 363 people (210 male, 153 female) which benefit from the thermals (to SPSS for Windows 9.01 Frequencies and percent values) statistics packet programme) at the end of our thesis we reached these results. People, who benefits from thermals, want to exercise at the thermals. They believes that the facilities of thermals are not enough Also they think that they can join in these activities and exercises, because they are very usefull for health. In this respect, we reached a result that the sports and activities are very important for development of thermal tourism.