The opinions of forest engineers on sustainable ecotourism activities: The case of Karabük Province, Türkiye
Opinie inżynierów leśnictwa dotyczące działań w zakresie zrównoważonej ekoturystyki: studium przypadku z prowincji Karabük (Turcja)
Sylwan 169 (10):752-772, 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26202/sylwan.2025042Available online: 2025-12-29
Open Access (CC-BY)
ecotourism • Karabük • forest area • forest engineer • SWOT analysis • R’WOT technique
Ecotourism activities, which emerged as a reaction to mass tourism, have enabled the development of ecotourism practices towards forest areas and their surroundings, as they aim to benefit rural local people on the one hand, and to protect resources on the other. This study aims to create SWOT analyses and R’WOT analyses that will reflect the opinions of forest engineers working in forest management directorates on the subject of ecotourism practices to be realized in and around the forest area under the responsibility of the General Directorate of Forestry. R’WOT technique, a hybrid technique that combines SWOT and multi−criteria decision−making techniques, was used in the research. Focus group interviews with forest engineers were utilized in the creation of SWOT factors. Semi−structured questionnaires were used in these face−to−face interviews, and the factors in the ‘SWOT Information Forms’ were asked to score the priority value themselves through survey applications. After evaluating all of the factors obtained, a draft action plan (short−medium−long term) was created. As a result of the study, forest management chiefs, forest regional branch managers, forest management engineers, and all forest engineers prioritized the ‘Strengths’ factors in the SWOT analysis. Forest management managers, on the other hand, prioritized the ‘Opportunities’ factors.
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