Investigation of alternative tourism opportunities in Akçakoca

Consuming natural resources without any plan makes sustainable tourism more important than any other times. For this purpose, alternatives tourism model was developed according to environmental conscious. Making resources sustainable with local people and environmental conscious has been become important for tourism in future in alternative tourism applications. In this study, Akçakoca town, Düzce was selected because of high tourism potential. Alternative tourism types and activities as well as already established tourism activities were investigated to obtain sustainability in tourism in investigated area. Various solutions have been providing how Alternative Tourism developments could be carried out according to city planners as well as daily problems in tourism. For this purpose literature survey was carried out and natural and cultural resources of searched area where investigated. It was observed that wrong land usages destroyed natural and cultural resources in researched areas and ecotourism and its policies as alternative tourism type was considered important to protect tourism potentials in town. Possible ecotourism types and facilities for Akçakoca where determined and potential activities where provided. Moreover semi-standard questionnaire where prepared and applied in five hundred people investigated quality, goods, services, trend for tourism activities, spaces for tourism applications, obstacles in spaces, density and appreciation in tourism system. Computer aided Statistical program was used to understand questionnaire data; percent frequency factor, Crombach alpha, independent samples for single factor variance and T test and analyses were carried out. Obtained data were provided as tables in outcome section. As a result, problems in tourism facilities of town were discussed as a planner and users points of view. various suggestions have been provided to over come problems and make balance in different activities that would provide alternative tourism applications. Key Words: Akçakoca, Alternative Tourism, Natural and Cultural Resources, Ecotourism, Planning, Sustainability.