Over a Million Hotel Beds in Turkey Receive Sustainable Tourism Certificates

(Patria) - Over a million hotel beds in Turkey have received sustainable tourism verifications and certificates, announced the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism at the start of the World Travel Market (WTM), the most influential event in the global tourism industry.

More than 7,500 hotels with 1,044,189 beds have received sustainable tourism verification and certificates under Turkey's National Sustainable Tourism Program.

The certification process is an integral part of Turkey's program, developed in partnership with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), making Turkey the first country in the world to sign such an agreement at the national level.

Turkey's fascinating tourism data was discussed on the first day of the World Travel Market in London by Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.

"Total visitor arrivals to Turkey from January to September 2023 amounted to 45,230,069 – an increase of 12.4 percent compared to the same period in 2022.

The United Kingdom is one of our key target markets. This is confirmed by the holding of the ABTA Annual Travel Convention in Bodrum between October 29 and November 2 this year.

There were 3,157,421 visitors from the United Kingdom who traveled to Turkey from January to September 2023, an increase of 12.1 percent compared to the same period in 2022.

Although we are largely focused on the growth of our tourism industry, we are equally determined to preserve our country's resources for future generations.

Here at WTM, together with our local industry stakeholders, we are presenting our unique tourism destinations and products.

At the same time, we are pleased to announce that our National Sustainable Tourism Program is on track to move quickly and efficiently towards its goals.

Over 45 million people visited Turkey in the first nine months of 2023.

With over a million hotel beds in our largest tourism regions now sustainably verified and certified, we are happy to see that a significant number of international visitors to Turkey have stayed in these accommodation facilities," emphasized Ersoy.

Turkey is presenting itself at WTM with its 61 tourism industry participants promoting leading Turkish destinations, products, and brands such as "Turkish Riviera," "Turkaegean – the coast of happiness," "Istanbul is the new cool," "Cappadocia – land of fairy tales," "Turkish Black Sea," and "Naturally Türkiye" at its 808-square-meter stand.

The stand will highlight Turkey's cycling routes, the National Sustainable Tourism Program, and 50 sustainable tourism experiences.

The stand will also emphasize Turkey's rich history and cultural heritage and its sustainable gastronomic tourism offerings.

Turkey is one of the few countries in the world with a 'must-have' approach to sustainable tourism, with certification of accommodation capacities mandated by law.

Looking at the progress of the National Sustainable Tourism Program in Turkey's four largest tourism regions, 1,144 accommodation facilities have been certified in Antalya, 966 in Istanbul, 639 in Mugla, and 488 in Izmir.