All About Ecotourism

In today’s world, one of the significant tourism trends falling under the umbrella of sustainable tourism is ecotourism. It has been capturing the attention of travelers who seek nature-immersed holidays. The interest in ecotourism has also found its place in academic literature. We’ve observed that there is a lack of comprehensive resources, both in national and international literature, that delve into the effects and activities of ecotourism, its position in the global market, and provide detailed insights into the structure, entrepreneurship, and certification of ecological hotels, as well as the explanation of marine ecotourism. To address this gap in the literature, we’ve prepared the book All About Ecotourism.

Unlike many ecotourism books in Turkish that touch on specific aspects, this book takes a holistic approach to ecotourism. It is primarily designed for students pursuing degrees in tourism, whether at the undergraduate or postgraduate level, as well as for nature enthusiasts interested in ecotourism. The book covers a range of topics, including the essence of ecotourism, ecotourism activities, the ecotourism market and its unique characteristics, ecotourism entrepreneurship and management, ecological farms and hotels, the eco-conscious tourists who prefer these accommodations, the entrepreneurship of ecological hotels and their distinctions, ecotourism planning, and the methodologies used in ecotourism studies. We have also provided an in-depth exploration of the increasingly captivating field of marine ecotourism.

We genuinely hope that our book will prove valuable to anyone who holds nature in high regard.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murad Alpaslan KASALAK completed his undergraduate education in the Department of Business Administration at Süleyman Demirel University in 2003. He earned his Master’s degree in Economics at Süleyman Demirel University’s Institute of Social Sciences in 2007 and completed his Ph.D. in the Department of Business Administration at Selçuk University’s Institute of Social Sciences in 2014. From 2004 to 2011, he worked as an Instructor at Süleyman Demirel University and Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Ağlasun Vocational School, and from 2011 to 2014, he worked as a Lecturer at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Köyceğiz Vocational School. Since 2014, he has been serving as a faculty member at Akdeniz University, Faculty of Tourism, Department of Recreation Management. His main areas of expertise are ecotourism, ecological hotels, and sustainable tourism. He has conducted 5 research projects, published 35 international articles, presented 63 international papers, authored 10 book chapters, and received 2 awards for best research papers in the fields of ecotourism, sustainable tourism, and recreation management.

Assist. Prof. Dr. Dilara BAHTİYAR SARI graduated from the Department of Travel Management and Tourism Guiding at Adnan Menderes University’s School of Tourism and Hotel Management in 2014. She obtained her Master’s degree in the field of Tourism Management at Akdeniz University’s Institute of Social Sciences with her thesis titled “Relationship Between the Personality Traits, Motivations, and Satisfaction of Ecotourists Within the Scope of Ecological Hotels: A Field Research in the Aegean-Mediterranean Region” in 2017. In 2022, she completed her Ph.D. in the field of Tourism Management at Akdeniz University’s Institute of Social Sciences with her thesis on “Productivity in Professional Tourist Guides: Scale Development Study.” Dilara BAHTİYAR SARI has conducted both national and international research in the field of tourism, with a particular focus on sustainable tourism, ecotourism, and tourist guiding. She currently works as a doctoral instructor at Gaziantep University’s School of Tourism and Hotel Management. Since 2023, she has also taken on the roles of Head of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Service Department and Director of the School of Tourism and Hotel Management.

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