Abstract

The people who reside in rural areas and live on agriculture make up the majority of the poor, and poverty is a phenomenon mainly experienced by women. In this context, tourism and agriculture are sectors that best complement each other, and the interaction between them has pushed agro-tourism to the forefront. The primary locomotives of this type of tourism are women. In this study, the importance of agro-tourism as a rural development model and, especially, its role in alleviating the poverty of women are considered. The material for this study consists of the data that were gathered through questionnaires during the exploration and application stages of a project initiated in Kosbucagi Village in Erdemli Borough of Mersin Province with the support of Cukurova Development Agency. The data have been analyzed using SPSS statistical package software. In this study, it has been found that women household standings are determined by their spouses’ educational levels and their household income. It has also been determined that, women are willing to participate in activities that would bring income, and in that sense, they would want their villages be opened to tourism. It has been found that Kosbucagi Village carries a great potential in applicability of agro-tourism.

Key words: Rural development, agro-tourism, poverty, rural women.