A geographical perspective towards the effects of rural tourism on rural development: Case of Muğla province

The main objective in rural development is to increase the welfare level of the rural population having a relatively low-income level. Therefore, one of the main policy areas is to improve rural areas' agricultural, industrial, tourism and environmental conditions. The economic point of view reveals that supporting the industry and tourism sectors as well as agricultural development, which is the leading sector of these regions, results in satisfactory results. In this regard, tourism activities are of great significance in rural development. Besides, the effect of tourism on rural development depends on the efficient use of the region's tourism potential. Thus, tourism may become a crucial income tool given that the tourism potential is evaluated in an efficient, continuous and sustainable way. One of Turkey's leading tourism centres, Muğla is of upmost importance for our country's tourism with its natural, cultural and historical values. While the development levels of the districts located on the coastline of Muğla have shown significant increases, that is not the case for the inland districts. This leads to a great difference across the coastal and inland districts in terms of development. Parallel to this difference in development, the inflation of social, economic and employment opportunities with coastal tourism in coastal regions make young population migrate from inland regions to coastal regions. Internal migration movements in Muğla cause structural changes in the population of the province. However, Muğla has a significant potential in terms of agricultural products, rural tourism and agricultural development with its social, historical, cultural and natural values in inland areas. Especially within the context of rural development, reducing the difference between rural tourism activities and the welfare level in inland areas seems to be the main alternative. In this vein, the research area was analysed through the Integrated Rural Tourism (IRT) model, which is the basic approach of the research. This analysis helped to reveal the domestic and foreign tourists' level of knowledge regarding rural tourism activities carried out in Muğla; moreover, the views of business owners, tour operators, public/non-governmental organizations and local people on rural tourism activities were examined in depth. The research indicated the rural tourism potential of Muğla, and hence various recommendations were provided to ensure the rural development at the desired level. This research is thought to be significant for the development of rural areas in terms of rural tourism. It will also serve as a guide for other rural regions in Turkey with rural tourism potential.