12. Major Wildlife Attractions and Choices in Turkey and the Tourists’ Reports about Their Experiences and Learning in this Tourism Niche

Contemporary life has caused human to become estranged from nature and in the present day we observe people’s efforts to return to nature. These efforts have generated changes in the tourism industry and alternative holidays are planned for tourists who seek unique, authentic experiences which require a more active participation. At this point wildlife tourism is capable of responding to the requirements and needs of tourists as well as the industry. Wildlife interactions occur in a wide range of settings worldwide. Tourists can observe, feed, touch and/or photograph the wild animals and their experiences have been getting more important to develop this area. Although there are various investigations in countries such as Nepal, Indonesia, Uganda, Kenya, Costa Rica, there is little research about wildlife tourism in Turkey. Therefore, this chapter presents information about wildlife tourism, its attractions and visitors’ motivations and experiences in Turkey. ‘Wildlife tourism’ in Turkey is not named segmentedly like that, and it is instead mentioned as being part of hunting tourism and ecotourism in the country. Thus, there aren’t special strategies or plans for developing this tourism type in the country. It hasn’t also been considered and attempt to enhance visitors’ learning experiences. However, zoo visitors’ learning experiences at zoo have been reported in this study. Therefore academic research about wildlife tourism and visitors’ experiences should be increased in the country. Clarification of wildlife tourism, determination of main attractions and marketing as a tourism product must be extended in Turkey.