Tektonik bakımdan hareketli, aktif bir deprem kuşağı üzerinde yer alan ve jeotermal kaynaklar bakımından zengin olan Türkiye’de, önemli termal turizm potansiyeli olan Termal Turizm merkezlerinden biri de Diyarbakır Çermik Kaplıcaları (Melike Belkıs Kaplıcaları) dır. 51 °C su sıcaklığına sahip olan kaplıcalar, çevresindeki yakın illerden yoğun bir turist akınına uğramaktadır. Bu araştırmada Diyarbakır ilinin Çermik İlçe Merkezinde bulunan Çermik Kaplıcaları’nın oluşunda etkili olan fizik faktörler incelenerek, termal turizm potansiyelinin belirlenmesi açısından fiziksel, sosyo-kültürel ve mevcut rekreasyonel yapısının analizi yapılmış ve turistlerin termal turizm ile ilgili düşünceleri değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini Çermik Kaplıcaları’ndan faydalanan ve kaplıcalar çevresindeki otel ve pansiyon niteliğindeki konaklama tesislerinde kalan 151 turist oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak katılımcıların termal turizm ve Çermik Kaplıcaları’nı tercih etmelerine ilişkin görüşlerini, eğilim ve gereksinimlerini tespit etmek amacıyla 15 soruluk bir anket uygulanmıştır. Anket sonuçları değerlendirilip dikkate alınarak Çermik kaplıcaları ve çevresine yönelik olarak rekreasyonel ve turistik fiziksel planlama önerileri getirilmiştir. Çermik kaplıcaları zengin bir termal su potansiyelidir. Fakat modern tesislere sahip değildir. Bundan dolayı buradaki kaplıca turizmini canlandırmak ve ilçe ekonomisine daha fazla katkı sağlamak amacıyla mevcut tesisler yenilenmeli; hatta yeni yapılacak yatırımlar termal otel, termal havuzlar, hamam, sauna, kür ve sağlık merkezleri gibi ihtiyaçlara tam olarak cevap verecek nitelikte entegre tesisler şeklinde tasarlanmalıdır.

Diyarbakır, Çermik Hot Springs, is one of the most important Thermal Tourism center of Turkey that has thermal tourism potential, is located on tectonically effective, active sismic zone and rich in terms of geothermal resources. Çermik thermal springs located in Hamambaşı, in the center of the town, aldo known as Melike Belkis Hot Springs. The hot springs which thermal water's temperature is 51 °C, attract heavy influx of visitors from around the neighboring provinces. In this study physical, socio cultural and recreational structure were analyzed to determine tourism potential with examining the physical factors that effect the occurence of Çermik Hot Springs, located in the center of Çermik district, Diyarbakır. Some of the hot springs in Anatolia are also used extensively for treatment in Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman period. Çermik thermal spa heavily used among the Ottoman era. Büyükpaşa and Küçükpaşa baths located in the Hamambaşı that Çermik thermal spa is located there too, proves that Çermik Hot Springs used past to present significantly Hot springs gives opportunity to benefit from atural resources in our country that are far from meeting the recreational needs of visitors, although Turkey, with its hot springs and drinking aspects of rich resources, climatic conditions, However Balçova (İzmir), Yalova, Gönen (Balıkesir), Sandıklı (Afyon) thermal springs located in different regiongs of our country, have relatively modern spa facilities. But especially, situation of hot springs located in the east and southeast of country is not encouraging. Therefore the lack of modern facilities in these regions is the biggest factor help existing bath culture intensely in hot springs Diyarbakir Cermik Springs, was declared (according to the Official Gazette No. 21731 and October 17, 1993) as Diyarbakir Çermik Thermal Tourism Center in 1993. Despite being one of the most important center of Turkey that has thermal tourism potential, consedering the tourist profile of Diyarbakır, Çermik Hot Springs, almost all of the tourists come from within the country, while those coming from within country also come from mostly surrounding provinces. In this case it also reveals that the promotions of thermal springs made by local goverments are not enough. In order to develop Çermik Hot Springs press-relaase publicity should be considered. In summer 2013, 15-question survey was applied to 151 people as a data collection tool to measure tourist profile, to determine why participants choosed thermal tourism and Çermik Hot Springs, what are their trends and needs. The study sample consist of 151 tourists, benefited from thermal springs and staying in hotels or hostels around the Çermik Hot Springs. The survey results are evaluated and taken into account, recreational and touristic physical planning proposals have been developed for Çermik Hot Springs and surroundings. SPSS program was used to analyze the data. In addition during field observations in the area results and suggesstions were obtained through interviews with tourists, accommodation operators, local administrators and officials within the framework of cause-effect link that the principle of geography. This study shows differences according to several studies in the field of thermal tourism in terms of implementation of survey question, interpretation of the answers, testing the relations and reliability between SPSS and answers. The positive effect of annual temperature is 15 ° C over, the average monthly temperature dows not fall below 0 ° C during the year around Çermik , reveals positive effect of extension of period except fort he summer that will be benefit from Çermik thermal springs, therefore, in terms of benefit for 12 months from the spa. However, spas are usually prefered from the end of the spring to summer and over a 4-5 months period until the beginning of autumn. The % 21,9 of survey participants are from city center and towns of Diyarbakır. This rate