Sustainable tourism development in destinations: costs, problem-solving strategies and planning vision in Sapanca, Türkiye

Purpose The purpose of this research endeavor is to examine sustainable tourism development in the Sapanca destination from a cost-oriented perspective, to develop a strategy for solving the problems originating from costs that prevent sustainable tourism development and to create a future vision on the subject. Design/methodology/approach The study was designed using qualitative research methods. Within the scope of the study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were held with 22 participants. Then, a focus group interview was held with 39 participants. Content analyses were used to analyze the data and MAXQDA was used for analyses. Findings Economic, social and environmental costs arise with the development of tourism in the region, and this situation causes serious problems. Practical implications The study provides managerial implications for three different cost categories – social, economic and environmental – in sustainable tourism development and reveals that this can be achieved in the long term with a planning-oriented vision and a system with effective stakeholder participation. Originality/value The study addresses sustainable tourism development from a cost perspective. It offers a prescription and fills the gap in the literature that can provide permanent solutions to the problems by developing a solution strategy for the costs of sustainable tourism development in destinations and creating a vision that will provide this in the long term.