Future is in Tourism Project

Future is in Tourism aims to strengthen capacity of local tourism actors and NGOs to contribute to the sustainable tourism development through partnerships with public and private institutions, to establish tourism as an alternative developmental tool in Turkey, to create local models by encouraging entrepreneurship, and contributing in tourism by bringing together the public, private sector, universities and civil society. The project conducts its activities through a grant scheme and training programmes and provides local tourism actors and NGOs with necessary guidance, tools and resources to strengthen their capacities through partnerships with public and private institutions with a view to create larger scale economic developments with national impact in a given sector and region, develop best practice examples, create community based sustainable tourism models and thus contribute to knowledge sharing in the area of sustainable tourism implementation. Therefore the initiative will lead a shift towards more sustainable modes of consumption and production through the following ways: - Encouraging awareness-raising activities for sustainable consumption and production - Capacity development through training programmes, study visits for promoting sustainable tourism practices (including sustainable production and consumption practices) - Supporting innovative, creative, gender-balanced, society sensitive and environment friendly production and consumption - Strengthening the implementation skills of local tourism actors and NGOs via implementation support, structured trainings, networking platforms (via regular meetings, conference and web portal) for promoting modes of consumption and production. Through the Project, training, mentoring, technical, and communication support as well as funding is being provided to three projects every year. Until now, 15 pilot projects have been granted with financial and technical support. “Future is in Tourism” has become a sustainable tourism brand in Turkey and contributes directly and indirectly to the following sustainable development goals: SDG1, SDG2, SDG5, SDG8, SDG10, SDG11, SDG12, SDG14, SDG15 Activities from Grant Projects: Lets Be A Misian : it is aimed to make region attractive for visitors by increasing cultural experience opportunities with a model that will be developed with the principle of putting silk production and sericulture, which has been the historical livelihood of Bursa’s Misi Village that has 2000-year history, at the core. Safranbolu Souvenirs: A survey was carried out with the participation of local and foreign visitors and shop owners in order to identify need for souvenirs that reflects its own cultural heritage and values. A design contest was organized to increase the diversity and quality of the souvenirs produced locally and the best designs were started to be manufactured by local artisans and offered to visitors. Edremit’s Local Cuisine with Nar Kadın : The project aimed to bring forth and brand the local flavours made by olive oil, and promote gourmet tourism in Edremit (Balıkesir). It intended to serve as an example in sustainable tourism through providing capacity development training to local women and transforming their products into tourism items. Lavender Scented Village: It was aimed to revitalize the rural tourism to ensure the product diversity of lavender, ensure income generation for local community and to mobilize the employment and entrepreneurial potential in the region. A study tour was organized to Provence (France), a best practice examples of rural tourism. Women were given trainings on rural tourism, sustainable product design, medical aromatic plants. Four Seasons in Foça: It was aimed to introduce nature-friendly production and business models for tourism activities where traditional production methods such as viniculture, fruit and vegetable growing, olive cultivation, coastal fishery are also continued. A sustainable tourism plan prepared and handcrafted, industrial products specific to Foça identified. Sustainable tourism trainings were provided to tourism enterprises such as hotels, restaurants and boat owners. A Day in Ovacik Village: It is aimed to develop an experience-based tourism model by enabling the local people to grow their traditional food, harvest (in a Permaculture garden) and experience the art of cooking. Recipes prescribed with traditional food trainings. Local people and visitors informed within the principles of responsible tourist and responsible business. This initiative has gained 16 awards including; Corporate Social Responsibility Award (Turkish Public Relations Association, 16th Golden Compass 2017), Social Responsibility Golden Award (Hermes Creative Awards, 2017), Best Social Responsibility Project (JCI Culture – Junior Chamber International, 2017), Best Social Responsibility Project in Europe (The Stevie Award, 2015). Within the scope of the grant projects, 300 women were employed directly / indirectly. 2 NGOs have been established and 13 NGOs, 8 Public Institutions, 2 Universities have been supported. 130 NGOs, 266 public institutions, 61 private institutions, 50 universities participated awareness raising trainings and more than 5,000 people received tourism certificates. The number of followers has reached 20.3 K in Instagram, while the number of followers has reached 15,2 K at Facebook.