Examining the Attitudes of Local People to Participate in Protecting Cultural Heritage and Supporting Tourism Behavior According to Their Demographic Characteristics

Although the function of protecting socially important tangible assets is often carried out by the state, the sensitivity or awareness of the local people living in the region makes a significant difference in the level of protection of cultural heritage. In the cases where the public has awareness of conservation and participate in conservation activities, great successes are achieved. Tourism activities play a leading role in achieving this success or especially in developing a conservation attitude. In this study, it was aimed to determine the knowledge level, thoughts on the protection of the area, the attitude towards participating in conservation activities and supporting tourism development of the local people living around Sarıkaya Basilica Therma located in Sarıkaya district of Yozgat, which was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List in 2018. In addition to this, it is aimed to determine the difference of the attitude of participating in protecting cultural heritage according to the demographic characteristics of the people of Sarıkaya. Within the scope of the research, 273 people were reached and a questionnaire form consisting of 23 questions with closed ends and options was applied. As a result of the analysis made on the data obtained, it was found that the level of knowledge of the public regarding cultural heritage and the behavior that supports tourism development is quite high, but the attitude to participate in protection is low. In addition, significant differences were found in the attitudes of local people to participate in protection in terms of age, education, active work and the number of households.

Keywords

Cultural heritage, Conservation, Participation in conservation, Tourism support, Sarıkaya Roman Bath.