UNSUSTAINABLE ECOTURISM PRACTICES: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2, 338 - 351, 01.01.2026

Ömer Eker

Öz

This critical study, based on a literature review, examines the topic of ecotourism, seeking to reveal its various negative aspects while investigating how and in which circumstances the principles of sustainability are violated. Although ecotourism is described as a type of tourism that is highly sensitive to the environmental and socio-cultural values, the rapid commercialization frequently leads to significant problems such as environmental degradation, cultural erosion, and economic inequality. Most of the main problems highlighted in the study arise from the transition from ecotourism to mass tourism. Ecotourism activities that have turned into mass tourism not only diminish the participants’ ecotourism experience quality due to overcrowding but also threaten the environment. Achieving the conservation and local development goals of ecotourism also requires more robust legal regulations and community-centered approaches. This study also draws inferences regarding cause-and-effect from specific ecotourism practices in Türkiye that fail to meet sustainability standards. The literature review focused on Türkiye suggests that most bottlenecks are associated with insufficient awareness of socio-cultural and environmental issues among visitors, while others highlight the deficiencies in legal regulations and various administrative problems. If fundamental changes are not implemented to address these problems, ecotourism will not only fail to reach its goals but may also turn into a center of complex issues.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Ecotourism , unsustainable , mass tourism , degradation

Etik Beyan

Not required for a literature review

Destekleyen Kurum

None

Proje Numarası

Not part of a project

Teşekkür

Not required

SÜRDÜRÜLEBİLİR OLMAYAN EKOTURİZM UYGULAMALARI: ELEŞTİREL BİR İNCELEME

Öz

Literatür taramasına dayalı yürütülen bu eleştirel çalışma, ekoturizm konusunu ele alarak, sürdürülebilirlik ilkelerinin hangi durumlarda ve nasıl ihlal edildiğini araştırırken, çeşitli olumsuz yönlerini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Ekoturizm, her ne kadar çevresel ve sosyo-kültürel değerlere karşı oldukça duyarlı bir turizm türü olarak tanımlansa da, hızlı bir şekilde ticarileşmesi nedeniyle çevresel bozulma, kültürel erozyon ve ekonomik eşitsizlik gibi önemli sorunlara yol açmaktadır. Çalışmada vurgulanan temel sorunların büyük bir bölümü ekoturizmden kitle turizmine geçişten kaynaklanmaktadır. Kitle turizmine dönüşen ekoturizm faaliyetleri aşırı kalabalıklık nedeniyle katılımcıların ekoturizm deneyim kalitesini düşürmenin yanı sıra, çevreyi de tehdit etmektedir. Ekoturizmin koruma ve yerel kalkınma hedeflerine ulaşmak, daha sağlam yasal düzenlemeler ve toplum merkezli yaklaşımlar da gerektirmektedir. Bu çalışma, aynı zamanda Türkiye'de sürdürülebilirlik standartlarını karşılayamayan bazı ekoturizm uygulamalarına da atıf yaparak neden-sonuç ilişkilerine dayalı çıkarsamalarda bulunmaktadır. Türkiye özelinde yapılan literatür taraması, ekoturizm uygulamalarına ilişkin karşılaşılan darboğazların çoğunu ziyaretçilerin sosyo-kültürel ve çevresel konularda farkındalıklarının düşük düzeyde kalmasıyla ilişkilendirirken, bazılarının ise yasal düzenlemelerdeki eksikliklerden ve çeşitli idari sorunlardan kaynaklandığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bu sorunları ortadan kaldırmaya yönelik köklü değişiklikler yapılmadığı takdirde ekoturizmin hedeflerine ulaşması mümkün olamayacağı gibi, daha karmaşık sorunların merkezi haline de gelebilecektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Ekoturizm , sürdürülebilir olmayan , kitle turizmi , bozulma

Proje Numarası

Not part of a project

Kaynakça

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