A Sustainability Model for Bringing Core Villages into Eco-tourism

Eco villages comprise a part of eco-tourism in rural regions, and are the destination of choice for those who wish to experience a taste of traditional life. In 2004, through a series of by-laws, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) initiated an eco-tourism movement in the Karpaz Peninsula. It was envisioned then that a planning approach within the framework of sustainability would be of importance to the island, and the project was developed using a sustainable planning approach with a view to contributing to the state's initiative to incorporate core villages into tourism on the island. Eco-tourism and the eco-village were explored within the framework of environmental problems, sustainable development and environmental sustainability, and the concept of core village was explained, with an emphasis on its benefits for tourism on the island. To ensure sustainability of the villages, a conceptual framework based on the principles of sustainable planning was established, specifically, in this case, on the Wheeler principles. These are grouped as: a. Compact, efficient land use, b. Less automobile use, better access, c. Efficient use of resources, reduction of pollution and waste, d. Restoration of natural systems, e. Good housing and living environments, f. Healthy social ecology, g. Sustainable economics, h. Community participation, i. Preservation of local culture and wisdom. These are used as cross references in assessing the situation in Buyukkonuk Village, the place nominated as the pilot area for eco-tourism.