Incorporating local values all around Turkey into tourism and contributing to local development, Future Is In Tourism announced the three new projects to support in 2020. Sustainable tourism ideas will be implemented in Kars, Mugla and Sinop.

Three new projects to support in 2020 were identified by the project Future Is In Tourism implemented since 2007 jointly by the T.R. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Anadolu Efes. In the 13th year of Future Is In Tourism which has been exploring, placing under protection and incorporating local values all around Turkey into Turkish tourism, “Cheese Route in Kars” (Kars), “House of Aromatic Plants in Koycegiz” (Mugla, Köycegiz) and “Journey of Flax in Ayancik” (Sinop, Ayancik) will be implemented.

Having implemented 16 sustainable tourism projects to date, Future Is In Tourism received applications which aimed to incorporate local nature, culture, historical sites and product diversity into tourism in order to select projects to support in 2020. The winning three projects were “Cheese Route in Kars”, “House of Aromatic Plants in Koycegiz” and “Journey of Flax in Ayancik”.

Cheese Route in Kars (Kars)

The Caucasian culture of cheese-making will be revitalised through the project “Cheese Route in Kars”. The project will be implemented by the partnership of Atatürk University, Tourism Faculty, Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts; Bogatepe Society of Environment and Life; Board of Young Entrepreneurs of Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) to develop a philosophy of tourism shaping around the cheese route in Kars.

The project “Cheese Route in Kars” aims to capitalise on the region’s tourism potential, sustain forgotten local products and production techniques, and contribute to social and economic development of the region. A route of gastronomy (cheese in this case) will be developed by joint work of universities, NGOs and local producers in the region. Once the “Cheese Route in Kars” is completed, a Union of Management for Cheese Route in Kars will be established. Further, tour schedules will be devised to make an inventory of cheese types in Kars; “Local Cheese Festival of Tradition to Future” will be organised and a book will be published on the Cheese Route in Kars.

House of Aromatic Plants in Koycegiz (Mugla, Köycegiz)

Devised as an alternative practice to develop community-based tourism in Koycegiz district of Mugla, the project “House of Aromatic Plants in Koycegiz” will be implemented by Mugla Sıtkı Koçman University Tourism Faculty in cooperation with Köycegiz Municipality and District Governorship.

“House of Aromatic Plants in Koycegiz” aims to capitalise on the tourism potential and promote the botanic richness of Köycegiz, the 16^th Cittaslow in Turkey. It particularly aims to preserve and promote the richness of medicinal and aromatic plants, and contribute in partnership with local people to community-based tourism. Intending also to increase women’s employment, the project will set a specific example in Turkey for aromatherapy tours, already a trend in the world.

Under the project, a traditional mansion built in 1932 will be allocated by the Municipality and renovated as the “House of Aromatic Plants”. At this centre, aromatherapeutic oils will be manufactured from indigenous plants and trees such as sweetgum tree (liquidambar orientalis). Thirty local women will be trained on aromatic plants, and a festival of aromatic plants will be organised in Köycegiz.

Journey of Flax in Ayancik (Sinop)

The project “Journey of Flax in Ayancik” revitalise the art of making flaxen cloth and flaxen thread as a traditional product of Ayancik district of Sinop, and incorporate it into tourism. A “route of flax” will be created under the project to be implemented by Sinop Usta Öğreticiler Derneği (Association

of Master Instructors) in partnership with Ayancik Union of Village Services, Ayancik Public Education Centre, ASO, and Ayancik District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry.

The project intends to bring together the last masters of flaxen thread makers and young people so that masters teach the art and raise young masters. Thereby, it will contribute to preserving the district’s cultural heritage and handing it over to future generations. A handicraft centre will be established for display and sales of products manufactured at workshop in order to promote the recognition of flax weaving and flaxen thread making as the region’s traditional art. Visits to the locality will be promoted where visitors will meet flax farming villages and enjoy natural beauties of Ayancik. In addition, the traditional “Culture, Flax and Woodwork Festival” will be used as occasions for the public display of master’s work to the public at large.