IMPORTANCE OF VISITOR MANAGEMENT IN NATIONAL PARK PLANNING

With the increasing attention in the natural areas in recent years, especially the national parks have become focus of interest thanks to natural, cultural and historical resource values they embrace. These areas, which enable various forms of recreational and touristic activities, are under threat because of uncontrolled flow of visitors. Although they have been under protection through enacted laws, the continuous destruction on the resource values of the areas that lack visitor management plans is indispensable. The effects of recreational and touristic activities conducted especially in national parks can be biophysical, social and economic in nature. Therefore, visitor management is crucial in these areas for the sake of the continuity of sustainable utilisation. In the current study, the importance and effects of visitor management in the scale of the national parks of our country is stated, and suggestions are made in terms of relevant legislation.