Akdu, Uğur; Öktem, Elif

Tourism is seen as an important economic resource especially for developing regions. It is an important issue that tourism should have social, environmental and cultural negative effects which have significant positive effects especially in economic terms. The development of tourism with a sustainable approach and participatory planning approach will contribute to the controlled development of tourism in the region as well as the protection of existing resources. The aim of this study is to reveal the awareness and knowledge levels of the local people, who is one of the important stakeholders of tourism, about the effects of tourism in Gumushane province which is thought to be development stage related to tourism. When the results are examined, the participants have an idea about the effects of tourism in general. However, it is considered that awareness should be raised about especially in terms of negative impacts, how resources can be used in a sustainable way and how to participate actively in tourism activities.