A Recommended Area For Rural Tourism And Recreation: Hızırilyas Village (Horasan-Erzurum)/Turkey

This study recommends that Hızırilyas Village in Horasan County of Erzurum Province, which is located at North-East Turkey, having a potential of rural tourism and recreation with its natural resources and cultural richness should be utilized as a rural tourism and recreation area. According to a survey performed in the area especially in spring and summer months of 2012 and 2013; majorly organic agriculture is carried out in the village, and the village people, who are particularly interested in tourism, build farms to carry out organic agriculture. The village, which has a thermal water source and hot springs, is visited by people from nearby provinces, counties and villages every season. Zivin Creek, which runs through the village, is suitable for line-fishing. Woodland areas around Zivin Creek are used as picnic sites. Beekeeping is also practiced in the village having a rich flora. Local cuisine of the village also draws attention. At the end of the study, frequency, percentage and chi-square analyses were applied to the data obtained through the questionnaires conducted to the local people and people coming to the village for tourism and recreation purposes using SPSS for Windows 18.00, and thus, rural tourism and recreation activities that can be performed in Hızırilyas Village were determined and recommendations were made therefor

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