A Research on the Impacts of Tourism on Rural Household Income and Farm Enterprises: The Case of the Nevsehir Province of Turkey

Abstract

This article is aimed at investigating the impact of tourism activities on the income and living conditions of rural households, and reflecting the views of both households and tourists on tourism related activities. An economic assessment of households that deal both with agriculture and tourism in the Nev¸sehir Province (Cappadocia) has been carried out based on primary survey data. Agriculture is the main economic activity in Nevsehir, and households generally have the characteristic structure of small family enterprises. While 59.8% of household labour forces are utilised in agriculture, 7.0% are engaged in tourism activities. The agricultural and tourism related activities, such as pottery making, handicrafts and lodging, are often in competition for the generally insufficient working capital of households, as well as time and labour. Total average household income in the region has been determined as $9,949, of which $7,315 (73.5%) is drawn from agriculture and $2,587 (26%) from tourism-related activities. Tourism cannot be regarded as an activity that constitutes an alternative to agriculture, but rather a complementary source of income.