Impact of Çal Vineyard Route on Sustainable Regional Development

Sustainable regional development necessitates planning and application towards employing and improving the local resource base, ensuring long-term protection and improvement of natural, cultural and economic environment of the region, and improving the quality of life of locals and visitors. The research aimed to analyse the impact of vineyard routes on sustainable regional development, based on the case of Çal, adopting a holistic sustainability approach and Keynesian assumptions. “Integrated Sustainable Regional Development Model” was developed to derive research themes. The qualitative research included document analysis, informal and formal interviews and participant observation in Çal, to establish the study context. Later, members of the Route were visited, data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Data was analysed through deductive thematic analysis. Çal Vineyard Route is a local initiative and is in its start-up stage. The regional resource base, institutional support and supporting elements were found to be adequate to consolidate economic activity towards wine tourism. However, a lack of infrastructure and a tourism cluster were also noted. In order to positively impact sustainable regional development, the Route will need to coordinate development and receive an overlap from Pamukkale, to develop its own tourism infra- and superstructure to establish economic clustering and a growth pole to promote interregional development.