Tourism potential of kastamonu natural heritage and a roadmap for sustainable nature tourism

In recent years, developments in the fields of information, communication and technology, as well as the effect and attraction of the natural beauties on people, have shortened travel times and create a desire to see new places and experience different experiences. In addition to the classical tourism fact consisting of sea, sand and sun, different types of tourism have emerged, and nature tourism has become increasingly important among these types of tourism. However, as a natural consequence of this interest, the concept of sustainability has generally come to the fore for all types of tourism, and the sustainability of nature and nature-based tourism has begun to be considered more important than other types. The concern for protecting the rights of future generations to an undisturbed natural environment has played an important role in this trend. Kastamonu is one of the cities rich in nature tourism in Turkey It is necessary to pay attention to the use of the natural heritage with the principle of sustainable tourism in order for the further development of nature tourism in Kastamonu and for future generations to benefit from the existing resources.In this study, it is aimed to reveal the natural heritage of Kastamonu and how to ensure the sustainability of the nature tourism potential offered by the said heritage.In the study, first of all, the relevant literature was scanned in depth in order to determine the natural heritage of Kastamonu. In the study, the sustainability of the heritage in question has been revealed with the management models in the related literature and the perspectives of individuals who have a say in the management of the areas subject to nature tourism. In addition to the literature review, the data collected through structured interview forms were analyzed with descriptive analysis technique As a result of the research, Kastamonu has a rich potential in terms of natural heritage and in its sustainability, a roadmap has been revealed for the effective management of necessary infrastructure and transportation problems, apart from information, advertising and promotion. KEYWORDS: Nature, Nature Tourism, Sustainability Nature Tourism Model, Kastamonu.