|
|
Last Updated: Jul 21st, 2010 - 20:10:47 |
Turkish holiday resorts Bodrum and Alanya on the Mediterranean coast received a huge boost to their local economy yesterday as the county's tourist minister announced they are entitled to a percentage of tourism revenues this year.
The coastal towns have been instructed by the central government to use the additional funding to improve their holiday service and transport infrastructures.
Both locations have been very popular among Britons over the last few years with their stunning mountainous coastlines and vast array of recreational activities.
On a tour of the Mediterranean coast, culture and tourism minister Atilla Koc said: "We are making an attractive and pleasant city plan for the Bodrum Peninsula and we want to establish a proper infrastructure system in Bodrum," reports Turkish Daily News.
He added that the collective support of local businesses and councils have meant that the area has continued to profit as a whole from the tourist trade.
"The most pleasing thing is to see the sensitivity of local authorities to the issue," he added.
"We transferred tourism revenues last year to Antalya's holiday resort of Lara and this year our plan is to allocate tourism revenues to Bodrum as well as Alanya."
Bodrum and Antalya are popular sites for water sports as they have superb facilities alongside warm and clean waters for miles along the peninsula.
Beach tourists have the option of picking some of the 300 days of sunshine a year to get a tan on the Med's customary pristine beaches.
But Turkey is unique among the hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline. Its historical remains are plentiful and Bodrum offers the culture-vulture tourist something quite different to anywhere else on earth.
Bodrum has become a centre for scientific underwater archaeology due to the number of shipwrecks and fossilised remains beneath its seemingly placid waters.
The discipline was born in 1959 when a team of Americans began seeking out many of the region's shipwrecks for fun, but soon realised that true academic study was needed to explore the many historical truths that lurked in the waters.
Thousands of hours of excavation, underwater-mapping and observations have been completed since then and its results are now on show at the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archeology in town's castle.
The museum promises to take visitors back in time to the worlds of forlorn ancient mariners who, guided by the gods across the Mediterranean Sea, met their destiny on Turkish shores.
Local diving schools operate tours specially designed for experienced divers to the shipwrecks, which have been featured in worldwide publications such as National Geographic and Time magazine.
Call Global Holidays on 0845 299 4450 for holidays to Turkey
Top of Page
|
|
|
|
|
Book online 24 hours a day or contact our telephone helpline on:
0845 299 4450
Mon - Fri 08.30 - 22.00
Saturday 09.00 - 22.00
Sunday 10.00 - 22.00
|
|
