Turizm ve Rekreasyon Faaliyetlerinin Ekonomi Üzerindeki Etkileri: Antalya Örneği
Ekonomik faaliyet türlerinin 3 ”T”sini (Tarım-Ticaret-Turizm) içinde barındıran Antalya’da modern anlamda şehirleşme olgusunun hızlanması turizm faaliyetlerinin başladığı döneme denk gelmesi tesadüf değildir. Turizm ile birlikte hızlı bir kalkınma dönemine giren Antalya, günümüzde hem yerel halkın hem de idari yapının algısı ve uygulamaları sonucunda bir “turizm şehri” kimliğini kazanmıştır. Bu özelliği de Antalya’ya ekonomik, toplumsal (kültürel) ve çevresel yapı üzerinde olumlu ya da olumsuz olarak etkiler yaratmaktadır. Turizm yerleşmelerinde turizm faaliyetlerinin etkileri ortam şartlarından yalıtılmış olarak gerçekleştirilemez. “Eğer bir bölge ya da ülkedeki kaynaklar büyük ölçüde onların bu taleplerini karşılamaya yöneltilirse, bu kez de yerel halkın taleplerini karşılayacak kaynaklar değişecek ve zayıflayacaktır. Ayrıca turizmin yarattığı hizmetlerde çeşitli iş olanaklarının ortaya çıkması belirli bir alan üzerinde olumlu etkiler yaptığı gibi, toplumsal sorunlar ortaya çıkarması, gelen hizmetlerin mekânı değişime uğratarak çevre sorunları yaratması gibi olumsuz etkileri de olmaktadır” (Özgüç, 2017, s. 163; Timor, 2004, s. 93; Doldur, 2014; ). Antalya’da turizm ve rekreasyon faaliyetlerinin”etkileri; ekonomik, toplumsal-kültürel, çevresel etkiler şeklinde üç ana grup altında toplanmaktadır. Ancak turizm faaliyetlerinin ortaya çıkardığı tüm bu unsurların ortak bir şekilde incelenmesinin zorluğu ve ekonomik etkinin tüm unsurların ana nedeni olması nedeniyle bu çalışmada da Türkiye’nin önemli turizm şehirlerinden biri olan Antalya’da turizm ve rekreasyon faaliyetlerinin ekonomi üzerindeki etkisi incelenmiştir.
Effects of Tourism and Recreation Activities on Economic Structure: A Case Study on Antalya
It is no accident that the increased modern urbanization in Antalya, containing the three “T’s” (Agriculture, Trade, and Tourism) of the operational economy types, coincides with a period when tourism operations have started. Today, Antalya is entering into a phase of rapid development and has gained the identity of a “touristy city” as a result of the perceptions and practices of both the local people and the local administrative structure. The touristic and recreational characteristics of Antalya can create positive and negative effects on the economic, social (cultural), and environmental structures of the city. The effects of tourism activities in tourist areas cannot be understood by isolating them from the conditions of the environment. The outcomes of tourism and recreational activities in Antalya, one of the important tourism cities in Turkey, are likely to be grouped under three main effects: “economic,” socialcultural,” and “environmental.” However, in this study, the effects of tourism and recreational activities on the economic structure of the city are examined, as the economic effect is the primary reason for all of the elements.
An emphasis has been put on the economic, social, and environmental effects of tourism activities in Antalya and many studies have been carried with respect to this since 1950, the year in which tourism became more widespread in Turkey. The “reproducing effect” of tourism, based on the assumption that tourism expenditures will increase employment and stimulate other sectors of the economy, has been considered a focus point in various studies. It is rather difficult to definitively estimate the economic effect of tourism since a tourism economy is directly or indirectly connected to countless sectors (over 50). Economic effects can have various outcomes, and as accepted generally, they are examined by dividing them into two parts: “positive” and “negative” effects. In this framework, the positive effects of tourism activities in Antalya are examined under four headings: “Effects of Tourism on Investments,” “Advantages of the Country and Local People,” Employment ,” and “Cross-Sectoral Competition Relationship.” The negative effects are examined under five headings: “Effect of Tourism on Imports,” “Effect on Inflation,” “Opportunity-Cost Effect,” “Seasonality Effect,” and “Over-Dependence.” First, a study regarding the subject and field of this research was conducted. Scientific publications (books, memorials, articles, and theses) and all studies conducted on the region and the issue, by both official and private institutions, are examined in detail. Then, first hand data and knowledge, obtained primarily from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish Statistical Institute, the Antalya Governorship, the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, the Provincial Directorate of Tourism and Culture, and many relevant authorities and people, are gathered with the purpose of acquiring various statistics about tourism activities in Antalya from its commencement until the present time. Additionally, geographical observations, research, and over 20 inspection visits were completed, and interviews were held between February 2015 and January 2018 in this field of study so as to observe the effect of tourism activities on the city’s economy. When tourism in Turkey is mentioned, the first city to come to mind is Antalya. It has natural beauty and attractive resources, various accommodation facilities, good transportation integration, and excessive demand , making Antalya a very attractive center. Antalya had 10,486,191 (32%) of the 32,412,213 tourists who visited Turkey in 2017, 53% of the total bed amount in Business Certified Facilities depending on the Ministry of Tourism (11% in Antalya central districts), and 31% of the tourism transportation investments, showing several elements of the important indicators that prove that Antalya is the leading city in terms of tourism. Considering all this data, while tourism is reaching the highest levels through cross-sectoral connections, a dependency on the tourism sector is increasing . Antalya is reaching a dead end in terms of the economy. At present, a search for new markets and projects for extending the tourism season are being carried out as a way to diversify tourism activities to find a solution to this problem. Various economic and political issues (global economic crises, political events and developments in the country, foreign exchange fluctuations, natural disasters,) can affect the number of the tourists visiting Antalya and its extension of tourism activities for the entire year. However, all aspects of tourism should be taken into consideration in all the studies. For instance, “if the resources in a region or the country are substantially used to satisfy such demands, resources to meet the requirements and demands of the local people will change and diminish” (Doldur, 2014; Özgüç, 2017, p. 163; Timor, 2004, p. 93). Therefore, short, medium, and long term plans related to the supply sources of tourism should be created and implemented so as to maintain such sensitive balances. First, the natural and human characteristics of our city should be known in order to reveal the economically positive and negative aspects of its basic resources. Today, Antalya has many attractive aspects in terms of tourism activities since different population groups having cultural, lifestyle, and architectural models in addition to their physical characteristics that are different from each other, have permanently settled in this region. Such natural, historical, and cultural heritages (natural beauty, baths, churches, mosques, castles and forts, cannons, rifles, clothing, meal habits) offer a very important contribution to Antalya in terms of the sea, nature, sports, congress, culture, faith, war, and history tourism. The fact that several of these important elements are available for people taking holidays in Antalya has caused the city to develop in terms of the tourism economy, and thus, it has accelerated the urban development of the city.
