UN, Turkish agent spearhead virus-boosted sustainable tourism
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and a top Turkish travel and leisure agency, Jolly, are spearheading sustainable tourism routes in Turkey as the COVID-19 pandemic prospects a lot more vacationers to opt for options this sort of as caravanning and ecotourism.
Talking exclusively to Anadolu Agency (AA), Mustafa Ali Yurdupak, the inclusive and sustainable progress portfolio supervisor at the UNDP Turkey, said, “We will do the job on blazing the way for sustainable tourism routes below the medium-term aims of the ‘Mirasım Türkiye’ campaign.”
The Mirasım Türkiye (My Heritage Turkey) campaign, launched by Jolly just about 3 a long time back, aims to help preserve Turkey’s wealthy heritage and go it down to foreseeable future generations.
The task is trying to get out possibilities to seaside-based tourism that will also aid reward area economies, Yurdupak discussed.
“We will work on (figuring out) when we acquire a tour team, how can a route which includes numerous legs be put together? Which geographic locations need to be prioritized?” he additional.
The campaign’s short-phrase aim is making use of electronic applications to establish an understanding of “liable tourism” amongst young children and their people, he underlined.
In the lengthy operate, the campaign aims to improve the institutional ability of tourism companies with the purpose of sustainability and to launch distinctive endeavours toward these sustainable tourism routes, he observed.
These endeavours will raise awareness amid vacationers, recognize places for growth and establish ways to be taken, he stated.
Turkey’s benefits
The UNDP claims the challenge will be an incubator for scaled-up assignments to be made with the support of companions this kind of as the governing administration and pertinent nongovernmental companies (NGOs), Yurdupak spelled out.
Noting that UNDP Turkey has currently been carrying out projects in the industry of tourism, he explained: “With this accumulated experience and know-how, our familiarity with implementation associates, and an international pool of gurus, the UNDP is the suitable lover for any small business or NGO that wants to function in the subject of sustainable tourism.”
As opposed to other nations around the world, Turkey enjoys an edge since it took motion early, despite adopting tourism-primarily based progress relatively late, said Yurdupak.
“Turkey’s 2nd benefit is the huge range of Anatolia,” he defined, referring to the large geography of Turkey, ranging from snowy peaks to coastal plains and hard canyons, with every little thing in involving.
“In other words, this is a country in which an extraordinary quantity of alternate options can be produced for ecotourism, for sustainable tourism places.”
Children to guide
Mert Vardar, the CEO of Jolly, mentioned the campaign aims to elevate awareness of sustainable tourism amid a climbing population, the erosion of regular cultural heritage and advancing local climate alter.
Later on, the undertaking will convey the awareness of sustainable tourism for the interlinked worth chain of tourism these kinds of as cruises, transportation providers, lodges and journey organizations, he stressed.
“We started drafting how to develop little one-pleasant routes in several areas with the UNDP,” he famous, including that these will be unveiled in the coming decades.
Yasemin Develioğlu, Jolly’s marketing director, mentioned their agency has been doing the job to boost Turkey’s all-natural, historical and cultural treasures, this kind of as handicrafts, that are in risk of currently being missing.
“This year, our cooperation with the UNDP will ensure that normal and cultural values are preserved and handed down to potential generations,” she stated.
In individual, boosting children’s recognition of the discipline of sustainable tourism will modify families’ recognition of sustainability problems, and in convert, society’s way of looking at factors, she described.
She additional that having maps, movies and other instructional information aimed at boy or girl travelers have previously been posted on the mirasimturkiye.com web page.
