Protecting Social and Cultural Identity in Sustainable Tourism: The Case of Gökçeada, Turkey

Sustainable tourism development is a concept that recognizes both environmental and socio-cultural limits to development. It also recognizes that as tourist numbers increase, socio-cultural and environmental costs increase. As such, sustainable tourism considers social and cultural liability, economic productivity and ecological sensibility in all its processes. The sustainability of the tourism industry can only be assured through maintaining the natural, social and cultural values of regional areas that rely on a tourism industry.

In this case study of tourism on Gökçeada (Imbros) Island in Turkey, a model is developed which explains the maintenance of social, cultural, natural and architectural environments to achieve sustainability in tourism. The case study research employs interviews, observation and Delphi techniques. A SWOT analysis on how best to protect and develop the social and cultural identity of Gökçeada is completed based on the findings of the interviews, observations, Delphi analysis and literature. A Sustainable Tourism Tree Model is presented for tourism in Gökçeada. Future applications of the Sustainable Tourism Tree Model, both for generating development of tourist destinations in a sustainable way and for resolving socio-cultural challenges in development, are discussed.