2019 - Environmental sustainability of tourism in Sapanca

Environmental sustainability envisages the preservation of environmental values by considering the balance of protection / use in the use of natural resources for tourism purposes. In this research, it is aimed to evaluate tourism activities in Sapanca within the scope of environmental sustainability. Interview method was used to collect data and descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the data. As a result of the research, it should be stated that environmental damage has occurred due to the construction of secondary houses and villas in Sapanca. It is stated that there is a partial environmental damage caused by tourism enterprises. In addition, it can be said that this situation may pose a risk in the future when the tourism structures in coastal areas and natural areas are not controlled. Another result of the research is that tourism activities do not significantly affect drinking water quality and air pollution in the district.
The main reason for the decrease in drinking water quality is the consumption from water factories in the district. It is stated that air pollution is caused by the Istanbul-Ankara TEM Motorway passing through the district center, which can be indirectly associated with tourism. In Sapanca, the implementation of watershed planning within the framework of sustainable principles and the guidance of planning and implementations under the guidance of sustainable tourism indicators will be effective in minimizing the environmental impacts of tourism activities.