The effects of rural gentrification driven by tourism: A study in case of avanos

In today's literature, rural areas are redefined not only as low-populated areas dominated by agricultural production activities, but also as socially, economically and spatially fluid and variable areas. The urban-to-rural population mobility that causes this change is discussed under various concepts. One of these concepts is rural gentrification, which causes effects such as new urban residents settling in rural areas changing the demographic structure, perception and use of space, and local economic dynamics. Within the scope of this thesis, it is aimed to reveal the rural gentrification process that develops under the pressure of tourism in rural areas and the social, economic and spatial reflections of this process. In this direction, Avanos, which stands out with its morphological, cultural and historical features in the Cappadocia region, was determined as the study area and the traces, effects and experiences of the rural gentrification process in Avanos became the focus of the study. As a result of the information obtained from 36 interviewees in 8 different groups, data on the area and literature review, it has been observed that the demographic structure has changed, real estate prices have increased, the traditional structure has been re-functionalized and production activities have changed in Avanos. The findings on the process of change reveal that the process of rural gentrification has started in Avanos and that this process is progressing within the framework of controlled, balanced and protectionist criteria. The rural gentrification process in Avanos differs from the examples of the world and Turkey due to the limiting geography of the place and the protectionist structure guiding this process. This uniqueness of the area transforms Avanos into an important observation area in terms of examining the local relations of rural gentrification processes. The study, in this respect, reveals the existence of diverse transformation models in rural areas