Archaeologist Effect on Archaeological Heritage Tourism (Archaeotourism) Planning

Archaeological heritage tourism (archaeotourism), an important component of cultural heritage tourism, is a totally new sub-discipline scientifically studied in the world and in Turkey. Anatolia (Asia Minor) is a very rich geography especially in terms of archaeological cultural assets. These assets are off great importance for Turkey to receive higher share from world cultural heritage tourism industry. However, in the current situation, these assets constitute very low levels of share compared to their potential and do not contribute enough to its national economy. It is obvious that, while archaeological cultural assets in Turkey as they have been held until recently comprise too important a source of tourism destination to be left to only tourism professionals, they are a treasure too valuable to be left to only archaeologists as well. Despite the fact that a tourism product emerges at the end of archaeological studies, it is clear that the archaeological studies have been carried out without an archaeotourism planning. It is an expected result that archaeologists are far from the dynamics of tourism and that tourism professionals do not master a special area such as archeological heritage assets. In this regard, it is imperative that both professionals be part of a multidisciplinary team to devise an archaeotourism planning that can meet all the needs of all the actors involved. Studies on the scope and contents of contributions archaeologists can make in such a community are extremely important.The social and technological developments emerged in recent years all around the world have made tourism both easier to purchase and simpler to access. Tourism has thus turned into a form of development where people can discover both their physical and intellectual personalities and an alternative of fruitful recreational activity of a pleasant time that is not available in their daily environment. Evolved from traditional nature tourism, sea, sand and beach tourism to cultural attractions such as gastronomy, belief, education and folklore, this transformation has turned out to be the fastest developing market of the world tourism industry within the scope of cultural heritage tourism. While the components of cultural heritage tourism constitute a wide spectrum, one remarkable contribution comes from archaeological cultural assets. These assets constitute an objective and accurate proof for cultural heritage of the past. These concrete finds of the past reflect the social mosaic, traditions, art, beliefs, taboos, joys, sorrows, and therefore the diversity and character of that culture. Archaeologists are concerned with the culture that produces these assets, not with the beauty or the economic value of these documents, and thus, by working through scientific methods, they produce interest and knowledge for the common culture of humanity.