To specify the tourism potential of Bitlis province: Search the opinion of administrators private and public sector

The main aim of this thesis is to define the tourism potential of Bitlis province from estimate of the source of tourism supply and infrastructure for its historical, social and cultural richness. This study is important, because it shows us that if the tourism potential of Bitlis province can be developed via appropriate plan and programmes, it contributes positively to the budget of province.First of all in this study; general informations about the province, touristic values of the province, informations about the touristic activities that can be developed in the province by means of its values and the research that indicates the sources of tourism supply have been given to the readers. Poll has been used in the research as data collecting technique. Mostly, backhanded questions have been used in the poll which was made for collecting ideas of private and public administrators in the elite class of Bitlis province. The findings of research have been supported by four open questions that had been asked for getting the ideas of actors more detailed in the poll. Later, poll datas processed into SPSS programme, stability analysis and analysis about demographic findings have been finished. The proportion of percentage and frequency for actors' answers about the source of tourism supply in the province have been analysed and then the ANOVA analysis has been made to specify the opinions that change according to demographic factors.According to the findings taken from the research, the province has a touristic attraction over natural, historical, social and cultural point of province. We discovered through the research that the province has lots of disadvantages that obstruct touristic activities in the province, for example deficiencies about touristic infrastructure, quality of touristic services, presentation deficiencies and disadvantages of location of province. With the help of findings obtained form the poll, the most important problems that make negative effects over the touristic activities in the province have been put in order and the study has been finished with the solution suggestions for these problems.Key words: Bitlis , tourism potential , supply source of tourism