Investigation of the local people's attitudes and behavior gaining in ecotourism of traditional architecture tokat houses within of sustainable development in Turkey

This research, which is about gaining the wealth of traditional architecture of the Tokat houses for ecotourism in the frames of sustainable development, has been assessed by gathering information with the poll method; from locals of Tokat. The locals residing in the targeted traditional houses have been conversed, and the socio-demographic datas have been shared. The locals participating in the project have low-income, are over 45 years old, and literate. The sources of their income mostly consist of their retirement pay, and the revenue of their local businesses. %65,80 of the traditional houses are in the possession of locals, and %73,06 of the locals do not possess other houses. It is seen that households include individuals who have immigrated, and who are unemployed. Ecotourism is seen to play a positive role for a half of this society to drop unemployment and migration. The locals consider their houses as cultural legacies, and they plan to inherit their houses rather than sell them. The individuals who are willing to participate in home pension organizations do not prefer hiring only one room of the houses. Likewise, the persons who are proponent of the sales of traditional products are against charging tourists by feeding them in their houses. Although the locals are affirmative for ecotourism, they doubt from the income that it can bring. Afterwards, the individuals worry about the equal distribution of the income, when a possible ecoutourism project happen to occur. From general perception, the traditional Tokat houses are suitable for gaining them for ecotourism, when the opinions and attitudes of the society are evaluated. Besides of the local folk's workings, the collective power of the local administrations, non-governmental organizations, and public corporations in the line of a project are aimed to be helpful for the local economy to develop sustainably