Attitudes of local people towards social tourism in Serik (Antalya) district

The tourism sector is important in the development of countries, as it is one of the sectors that provide the most foreign currency input. For this reason, it is seen that countries make various studies and investments in order to host more foreign tourists. However, due to the multidimensional nature of the tourism sector, it is necessary to examine the positive and negative effects of environmental, cultural and social structure on the local people. For this reason, in this research, it is aimed to reveal the participation status of the local people in urban and rural neighborhoods living in Serik district, which is one of the important destination points of Antalya province, which is expressed as the tourism capital, and if there are factors that prevent them from participating in tourism activities. For this purpose, quantitative research method was used. In the study, data were obtained from a questionnaire consisting of 63 questions. Field studies were applied to 466 people who agreed to be interviewed between December and April of 2022 and 2023, and 49 questionnaires were not included in the analysis because they did not meet the pre-acceptance conditions, and 33 questionnaires were not included in the analysis because they constituted the pilot study. In total, the data of 384 participants were analyzed in the statistical package program. According to the findings, it was seen that 44.8% of the people living in the urban and rural neighborhoods of Serik district did not have the opportunity to go on a vacation in 2022 and before, while 55.2% had the opportunity to go on a vacation. It has been seen that the three most important factors that play a role in the inability of individuals to go on holiday are the lack of financial opportunities, the idea of not being able to have a holiday at the same level as foreign tourists, and the problem of accommodation. It has been seen that financial concerns, transportation problem and not knowing what to do are the three most worrying factors in the ideas of going on a holiday in 2022 and before. It has been observed that if the state or social institutions and organizations in our country provide support for a holiday, 81% of individuals will apply, while 19% will not apply. When the reasons for not applying are examined, it is seen that the most financial means are good, followed by the fact that I do not have the habit of going on vacation and that I feel afraid of people's reactions when it is heard that I have received support. For this reason, it has been seen that the local people should be made aware of social tourism and individuals should be supported by various institutions and organizations in order to increase their participation in tourism activities. Keywords: Social Tourism, Local people, Serik, Antalya.