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Turkey’s Rize to open more plateaus to tourism amid strong interest
Turkey’s Rize to open more plateaus to tourism amid strong interest
Officials in Turkey's Black Sea province of Rize have identified 11 new spots that will serve as alternatives to the popular Ayder Plateau in the face of strong demand from local and foreign tourists. Click through for the story in photos...
The eastern Black Sea region has become very popular over the past couple of years among foreign tourists especially from Middle Eastern countries. Photo: isa özdere / Alamy
The Ayder Plateau is located in the Çamlıhemşin district of Rize. Photo: KENAN KAYA / Alamy
More tourists are expected as access to the region will become much easier. The Ordu-Giresun airport became operational recently, while the Rize-Artvin airport will be completed in three years, set to bring in more local and foreign tourists. Photo: Ekin Yalgin / Alamy
Officials have identified Gürcüdüzü, Deremezra, Handüzü, Anzer-Kabahor-Meles and Aşağı Kantarlı pleateaus as well as Çat, Sivrikaya, Çataldere villages, Ağaran Waterfall and the springs near the Andon and Ilıca villages as new tourist attractions that could serve as alternatives to the Ayder Plateau and meet the increasing tourist demand. Photo: Westend61 GmbH / Alamy
Those 11 spots that resemble the Ayder Plateau will be transformed into “tourism centers.” Photo: Tarik Kaan Muslu / Alamy
Also, a conservation development plan has been devised for those 11 areas in order to prevent illegal constructions. Photo: isa özdere / Alamy
“This region is not only about Ayder in Rize and Uzungöl in Trabzon. Because of such a perception, those places become overcrowded. We cannot even handle traffic there. That is why we need to strike a balance and equally distribute the tourist demand,” Rize Governor Erdoğan Bektaş said. Photo: ismail atalar / Alamy
“To that end, we have identified 11 spots. We could have found 11 more such destinations, but we chose to focus on only those 11 destinations. We have a total of 12 ‘Ayders’ now,” he said, adding that is why they called the project “12 Ayders.” The governor noted that in order to avoid the problems experienced in the Ayder Plateau, they would first build “good” infrastructure. Photo: : umut kacar / Alamy
Bektaş said they are working to resolve the motor traffic problem, adding: “We are also working on a number of issues such as garbage, waste, drinking water and electricity.” Photo: UArda / Alamy
The Ayder Plateau was initially declared a tourism center in 1987 and was declared a natural protected zone in 1998. It was later declared a “Culture and Tourism Protection Development Region” in 2006 with a cabinet decision. Photo: muART / Alamy
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