'Night Museums' to be expanded to bolster tourism

AYDIN

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced the decision to expand the "Night Museums" project to illuminate archaeological sites close to tourism hotspots in Türkiye to bolster tourism.

Speaking at a meeting with the representatives of the tourism sector in Kuşadası, Ersoy stated that his ministry has set ambitious targets until 2028 with high hopes to break records in tourism every year.

"As of next year, our target is to reach 60 million visitors and $60 billion in revenue. The initial data is coming in well. There are increases in visitor numbers and reservations," he said.

In order to draw more tourists, Ersoy stated that the scope of "Night Museums" will be extended thoughout the country.

"We are including all of the ruins close to tourism centers within the scope of the 'Night Museums' project. We want to increase tourist mobility. We will see the positive results of this project in a few years," he said.

Describing Kuşadası and the Aegean region as an archaeology paradise, Ersoy said, "Thousands of years ago, people built ancient cities here. We see that there are extensive settlements."

As temperatures remain high, reaching up to 50 degrees Celsius, in the summer, tourists prefer to stay at hotels where they have access to the beaches instead of visiting archaeological sites.

Ersoy stated that archaeological sites would play a critical role in extending the tourism season and said, "Kuşadası is not limited to a six-month tourism season consisting of sea, sand and sun. It should come to the fore with an eight to nine-month season. Here, archaeology comes into play. When you bring archaeological points to the forefront and polish them, tourists will start coming out of the hotel."

Emphasizing that the ministry allocates a serious budget for archeological excavations, Ersoy stated, "In 2019, our excavation budget was 36.7 million Turkish Liras, and last year, we increased this figure to 1.1 billion liras. This year it will be 6 billion liras."