Second Home Tourism in Altınoluk: Residents’ Perception of Economic Impacts

Öz

Since the 1960s, the middle class in Türkiye has been encouraged to purchase second homes through cooperatives in coastal regions. Although second-home tourism is a common holiday practice, research on its economic impacts remains limited. This study focuses on the Altınoluk neighbourhood, a popular destination in the Edremit district of Balıkesir Province, and investigates the economic effects of second-home tourism on local residents. Data were collected from 30 stakeholders through semi-structured interviews and analysed using content and descriptive analyses. The findings indicate both positive and negative effects, with negative impacts being particularly pronounced. Many local residents have lost traditional livelihoods, such as olive groves and agricultural land, and are now employed mainly in low-paid jobs. Tourism is largely oriented towards domestic visitors, and traditional accommodation facilities, such as hotels, remain underdeveloped. To mitigate these challenges, it is essential to protect and support traditional income sources, establish cooperatives or joint ventures to increase local benefits, and develop small- and medium-sized hotels and guesthouses to reduce dependence on second homes. Overall, this study contributes to the understanding of second-home tourism in Türkiye and highlights the need for sustainable planning strategies that balance tourism development with the economic and social welfare of local residents. These findings may also offer guidance for other coastal regions with similar tourism dynamics.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Second home tourism
• economic impacts
• Altınoluk

Kaynakça

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