Investigation of Hunting Tourism Potential of Uşak Province within the Scope of Sustainability

Abstract

Hunting and hunting tourism is seen as a tourism activity with economic potential in many regions of the world. This alternative tourism activity includes hunting in natural areas and experiencing wildlife. In addition to contributing to the local economy in areas where hunting tourism is practiced, natural areas can be managed within the framework of sustainability. Hunting tourism offers opportunities such as economic income, recognition and sustainability of natural resources for the region if it is carried out within the scope of legal regulations and inspections in regions where wildlife is rich. Uşak province, which constitutes the study area, is seen as a favorable region for hunting tourism in terms of its location, geological structure, climate, flora and fauna diversity. In this study, land hunting areas and game species were investigated in detail in order to evaluate the hunting tourism potential of the province. In the research, information was obtained from relevant official institutions as well as legal legislation and literature sources. As a result of the study, it was determined that the province is home to different types of game animals thanks to its climate, vegetation and topography diversity. It has been observed that hunting is carried out in accordance with the legal regulations, which are important for sustainable natural life and hunting tourism in the province, and that the control mechanisms are working effectively. The lack of statistical information on the tourists coming to the city for hunting tourism in the relevant organizations has been identified as a deficiency. It is thought that the elimination of the aforementioned deficiency is important in terms of the sustainability of wildlife and hunting activities, calculating the economic input to the region within the scope of hunting tourism, and meeting the needs of tourists. For the restoration of natural habitat in the context of sustainability and attractiveness in natural areas where hunting is carried out, it is recommended that personnel from the discipline of landscape architecture be assigned in addition to forest engineers and agricultural engineers in the relevant institutions. A study on hunting tourism in Uşak has not been found in the literature, so this study is important in this context.