The relationship between the local people's sense of belonging and perception of ecotourism: Case of Amasya

Belonging is an emotional bond that occurs between individuals and particular places. Ecotourism, on the other hand, is travel to relatively unspoiled natural areas that are sensitive to the environment, offer benefits to the local people, and include education. In the study, the relationship between the sense of belonging and ecotourism perception of the local people living in Amasya was examined. In this direction, it is aimed to determine the effect of the sense of belonging of the local people on the perception of ecotourism. The questionnaire study applied on 440 people living in the province of Amasya was analyzed statistically. Correlation and regression analyzes were performed for the hypotheses determined within the scope of the study. As a result of the analysis, a moderate relationship was determined between the sense of belonging and the three dimensions of ecotourism perception (economic, environmental and socio-cultural perception). In addition, it has been determined that the sense of belonging has a statistically significant effect on these three dimensions.