Controversial framing of ecotourism practices in a special environmental protection area in Turkey: the Datça case

Date

2025-7-10

Author

Başak, Merve

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This research explores how ecotourism practices emerge, evolve and are sustained within the Datça Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA) by examining the multi-layered interplay of actors, regulatory frameworks, spatial contexts and temporal dynamics. While ecotourism is frequently framed in policy discourse as a sustainable development strategy, there is limited empirical research investigating the processes and mechanisms through which these practices are constructed and maintained. To address this gap, the research adopts an Action Research (AR) approach combined with thematic analysis and process tracing, providing a multi-scalar examination of Datça’s planning, governance and discursive dynamics. The research integrates (i) planning instruments such as permits, certifications, incentive schemes and plan amendments; (ii) intensive field-based observations and interactional notes generated across AR cycles; and (iii) open data and media sources. Spanning the period 2020–2025, the findings reveal three key mechanisms: (i) governance and power asymmetries, shaped by overlapping mandates and strategic land allocation; (ii) policy–practice misalignments, where conservation-oriented instruments are reinterpreted to facilitate tourism-driven spatial transformations; and (iii) the instrumentalization of ecotourism, whereby sustainability narratives are mobilized to legitimize investor-oriented development agendas. The research offers practical and policy-relevant insights into the management of Datça’s SEPA, emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability and ecological safeguards. By tracing how ecotourism practices are operationalized and contested, it highlights areas where governance arrangements and management processes could be strengthened to better align with conservation objectives.

Subject Keywords

Ecotourism, Governance, Action Research, Conservation, Datça

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/116180

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis