Available online at www.scholarsresearchlibrary.com Scholars Research Library Archives of Applied Science Research, 2011, 3 (2):465-471 (http://scholarsresearchlibrary.com/archive.html) ISSN 0975-508X CODEN (USA) AASRC9 465 Scholar Research Library Opinions of Local People in Turgutköy (Marmaris) on Ecosystem-Based Tourism Osman YILMAZ and Hilmi DEMİRKAYA Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Faculty of Education, Primary Education Department, Burdur, Turkey ABSTRACT Ecotourism has been encouraged by many proponents and supporters throughout the world recently. It has broughed a new perspective to sustainable development approach as an alternative to mass tourism. With its nature, culture and hospitable people, Turgutköy is a tourism centre which posseses most of the key elements of successful ecotourism. The objective of this study is to figure out the opinions of local people on socio-cultural impacts of tourism. In addition, this study also aims at determining the tourism and ecotourism knowledge of the local people there. This study has both quantitative and qualititative patterns. According to the collected data, the opinion of participators on socio-cultural impacts of tourism is seen as positive. In the qualititative findings of the research, 3 different definitions, each for tourism and ecotourism, have been identified. Keywords: Tourism, Ecotourism, Environment, Turgutköy, Attitude. INTRODUCTION In recent years, the perception of tourism in the world is changing slowly. The concepts of eco-tourism, sustainable tourism, in which natural and cultural environment is protected, are observed to be preferred over mass tourism. Ecotourism is considered to be an effective means of sustainable development as opposed to environmental and governmental distruptions of mass tourism which has an uncontrolled development [1]. When the research literature on tourism is examined, there are many researches in which local people's perceptions and attitudes towards tourism development are studied [2-5]. The findings of this research show that there are tourism investments realized without damaging the ecological environment and preserving the local culture. Brunt and Courtney (1999) have suggested to promote the positive contribution of tourism in any touristic area and suggested that regional tourism can be realized as sustainable tourism by minimizing the negative impacts of tourism. They emphasized the importance of knowing and predicting the perceptions and attitudes of local people for a successful tourism activity [6]. Doğan (2004) claimed that it is necessary to get the support of the local people in a region for tourism development and sustainability [7]. Given the social impacts of tourism, gradual and