The role of tourism in regional development: A case study from Bozcaada

Regional development may be evaluated as the increase of alteration and development of socio-economic structure on the basis of the region. With this prediction, we may summarize that the regional development is an effect that changes the faith of region by time as an entegrated activity which includes increased levels of development, investment and employment; economic gaining that accelarates regional income as well as socio-cultural development and inter-communal interactions.In Bozcaada, as a region that chosen for master thesis; winegrowing and wine selling as fundamental financial sources of income tended to gave place to turism in the late '90s. As becoming acquainted with turism 15 years ago in its history, Bozcaada existed in peace with different cultures; its acquaintanceship with turism gave birth to positive and negative diversity of perception and attitude of public in certain. Assuming the prediction of the any sectoral effect on regional development formation in advance, investigating the effects of turism on development; specially carrying a project out on a region which live on by winegrowing and wine selling will be conspicuous.By taking into consideration of the development was not only an economical improvement process but it is also a socio-cultural development and interaction; we question that how the public in Bozcaada sense and support the changes in their region. Our aim is to answer this essential question by literature browsing followed by public survey applications.The survey results were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 statistical program. The opinions are received from a total of 220 subjects of samples. As a result of research, perceptions and attitudes of public related to impacts of tourism on regional development in the town Bozcaada at the province Çanakkale were measured; the findings were evaluated as the public?s perception and socio-economic role of tourism.