Thesis (Master)--University of the free State, Bloemfontein, 2003. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-57).

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- Lincoln University, 2009. / Also available via the World Wide Web.

ABSTRACT AGRI-TOURISM: AS A NEW ELEMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT DemirbaS Topcu, Elif MS., City and Regional Planning Department, Urban Design Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Baykan G&uuml / nay October 2007, 187 Pages This thesis study is developed under the lights of new developments related to rural tourism sector in the world. With the effects of emerging term &lsquo / sustainability&rsquo / in 1980s, sustainable tourism concept has found new implementation areas. The increasing demand on the tourism activities taking place in rural areas has lead the governments to find ways of benefiting from this tendency in a sustainable way. Since the early 1990s, a new type of rural tourism called as agri-tourism has been developed as a concept that integrates agriculture and tourism activities in the western world. Whether it is evaluated as a tourism or agriculture development element, it is a new element of country planning. Nowadays, it is seen that there is also a new tendency for agri-tourism at local level through local initiatives in Turkey. Although there is still no governmental regulation for agri-tourism activities, political and practical developments demonstrate that the sector should be evaluated as a planning element for Turkey. The main purpose of this study is examining the rural development element characteristic of agri-tourism concept as an element for enhancing the rural tourism activities in Turkey. To achieve the purpose, two examples from EU- Lublin and Tuscany Regions were examined to understand the dynamics of agri-tourism as a planning element. For these study interpretative-comparative-textual method is used. Accordingly, the present condition in Turkey is evaluated through the obtained data and SWOT Analysis method was employed for analyzing the data. Accordingly, some suggestions are presented for developing agri-tourism sector in Turkey.