Tourism in the Eastern Black Sea Region lasts four seasons. If you wish you can relax with the pleasure of the sea on the beach or you can cool off by enjoying the unique view over the clouds in summer. There are many alternatives in winter too. You can explore the historical and cultural textures of the ancient cities of the region and their delicious flavors or you can enjoy skiing in the winter centers.
GREEN JOURNEY: “EASTERN BLACK SEA REGION.”The Eastern Black Sea Region extends from the east of Samsun to the border of Georgia along the Black Sea coast in the north east of Turkey. Artvin, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Ordu, Rize, Trabzon are the neighboring provinces. Here climate, geography, natural beauty and cultural characteristics are similar to each other. This place is known as the Eastern Black Sea as a whole. This region has the most beautiful tourist attractions of Turkey known for its green nature and natural beauties. Tourism in the Eastern Black Sea Region lasts four seasons. If you wish you can relax with the pleasure of the sea on the beach or you can cool off by enjoying the unique view over the clouds in summer. There are many alternatives in winter too. You can explore the historical and cultural textures of the ancient cities of the region and their delicious flavors or you can enjoy skiing in the winter centers. During the hot summer months, activities such as accommodation, meals, and excursions are offered along with a unique landscape with its cool air, streams and rain, offering a great alternative holiday to the tourists coming from the hot regions and from the local, European and Gulf regions who are bored by the city life. Especially, tourists from Muslim countries can live their culture and lifestyle without having any problems. Due to tourism, domestic and foreign cultures unite and get closer.
Very Rich in Tourism Types Nowadays, nature-based tourism types and activities gain importance instead of traditional tourism. In this regard, the Eastern Black Sea Region offers nature tourism, mountain tourism, tableland tourism, cultural tourism, botanical tourism, winter tourism, hunting tourism, coastal tourism, eco-tourism, rural tourism, historical tourism, sports tourism, educational tourism, congress tourism, agrotourism, cave tourism and related activities due to its natural, cultural and geographical richness. In this respect, the Eastern Black Sea is one of the richest regions of Turkey and has become a tourism brand in recent years. Regarding tableland tourism which has attracted considerable interest by domestic and foreign tourists in recent years, the richest region is the Eastern Black Sea. There are roughly 950 tablelands in the region. Here, the tableland reflects a lifestyle since ancient times. The Eastern Black Sea tablelands which exhibit authentic local cultures and the most vivacious examples of life have been the main figure in tourism over time. Besides its natural beauties and climate, it is also preferred by nature sports and eco-tourism enthusiasts. Ayder, Uzungöl, Kafkasör, Zigana, Kümbet and Çabaşı are the most preferred Eastern Black Sea tablelands by tourists. They are the eye-catching beauty with its preserved natural structure.
Accommodation Types are Available for All With the development of tourism, the hotel and bed capacity are increasing with new investments in the accommodation field, and on the other hand accommodation types also become varied. Depending on the preference of local tourists, there are many options from 4-5 star hotels to bungalow facilities, from mountain/tableland house to hostel, from holiday village to camping caravan. In this way, every tourist can act according to his or her preference and budget. It is appealing to every segment from tourists with backpacks to the
tourist looking for luxury accommodation. The facilities are operating at high occupancy rates during the period starting from April to October. In winter, tourists who want to enjoy both nature and winter tourism fill the hotels. Winter tourism and winter activities are developing day by day.
New Center for Arab Tourism More than 5 million local and foreign tourists visit the region each year. The vast majority of tourists are domestic tourists. In recent years, the interest of foreign tourists has increased. The rate of Gulf Arabs among foreigners is quite high. It is expected that half a million tourists from the Gulf Region will come to the Eastern Black Sea this year. Especially Saudi Arabia, the numbers of people coming from other Gulf countries are increasing.
Increasing growth of Arab tourism is crucial regarding the regional economy. Over the last five years, significant studies have been carriedout in this context. Intensive promotions were
implemented towards the Gulf Region, which was designated as the target market. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Arab tourists from this region prefer the Eastern Black Sea. All the institutions in the region are focused on the goal of “targeting two million Arab tourists”.
Tourism Triggers Investment Increasing tourism demand in the region also brings investments. The interest of foreign tourists is not only limited to travel. We can see Arab investors in areas such as tourism, real estate, travel services. While some investors have begun to buy and operate existing hotels, some have entered the sector with hotel investments up to a size of 50 million dollars.
There are also investors conducting travel agency operations and bring tourists from their countries through charters and direct travel services. There are also significant increases in individual home purchases. Trabzon province has been located in third place in Turkey for house sales to foreigners. Some individual investors who see Trabzon and the Region as safe havens buy houses for both spending more time in the region and the purpose of investment. In the following period, it seems that the Turkish government’s granting citizenship to investors would make the sector even more active.
Flight Points Are Increasing There are two airports in the region. The construction of a third airport has begun. The primary airport is the Trabzon International Airport located in Trabzon, which is the metropolitan city of the Region. Due to the latest domestic and international connections, tourism development has accelerated. The direct flights from many destinations on domestic routes are significant for the revival of domestic tourism. The city can be reached in 1.5 hours from Istanbul.
In the Gulf Region, significant developments have been made for direct air transportation from many countries. A great number of charter flights have been organized for the last three years. With the initiatives of Turkish Airlines in 2016, it has first started with one direct scheduled flight destination from Kuwait and eight from Saudi Arabia. This year, two foreign and one domestic, three airlines in total, are starting to launch scheduled flights from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. It can be said that the number of tourists would rise with the increase in the number of destinations in the following years.
There are Attractive Incentives for Investors The tourism sector in the Eastern Black Sea Region offers significant opportunities for investors. First of all, the sector is growing very fast. The tourist demand of the region is increasing at a rate of 40%. Also, Trabzon and the cities of the Region have improved infrastructure regarding transportation. It is very close to major spots such as the
Caucasus and Russia. It has a young, dynamic and educated population. The infrastructure of health and sports facilities is in excellent condition. The government offers facilities for investors to
develop tourism in the region. The government also provides convenience on many issues as investment places, tax exemptions, insurance premium discounts, credit interest support and free advice. Foreign investors also have the same rights as domestic investors.
Most Important Partner in Tourism, DOKA The Eastern Black Sea Development Agency as a state institution, guides Arab authorities in all aspects of investment, tourism, matching and incentive subjects. Hence, it works in cooperation with Turkish and Arab representatives in Arab countries and makes promotions every year in Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah expos.
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