‘Professional tourist’ on duty in Turkey’s west

MUĞLA

Efe Tanay has the best job in Turkey, which requires him to travel to lush tourist destinations in an Aegean province until the end of August. 

He was selected from among thousands of people to tour and promote Turkey’s western province of Muğla’s Ortaca district. 

As part of the project called “the best job in Turkey,” Tanay has been working hard to promote the region for a hefty pay of 30,000 Turkish Liras from the beginning until the end of August.

Tanay shares his experiences and photographs of the places he visited on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. 

Having worked for almost a month now, Tanay told state-run Anadolu Agency he was chosen from among thousands of applications from 27 countries for the promotion of the tourism destination by traveling between Aug. 1 and 31. 

Tanay said he traveled to promote Ortaca, Dalyan and Sarıgerme, adding: “I have visited all coves, beaches, ancient cities, rivers and lakes in Dalyan since the first day of August. I even went to the view terraces. I am promoting all the beauties of the region, from the local tradesmen to art, from its cuisine to its culture.” 

Stating he had great fun with the project, Tanay said, “I helped sea turtles reach the sea after their treatments. I documented everything about Dalyan and shared them on my social media accounts and on our website. I try to show the whole world how beautiful the region is.” 

Tanay said he received positive feedback from his followers on social media. 

“Many people went to the places we showed on social media and ate at the places where we ate. They wondered about the ancient cities we showed and visited these places. They visited view terraces and coves and shared their experiences with us too. Many people living in the region sent us messages that even they did not know some of the places that I promoted. This is a unique place that is truly untouched. We are trying to show how beautiful these areas are. We share our experiences in English and Turkish with our followers. We also make publications on our site with photos and videos every day. In this sense, we get very good feedback from people,” he added. 

Tanay visited every nook and cranny of Dalyan and Ortaca, learning about the places very well. 

Selecting a professional tourist 

For the promotion of Ortaca, which is home to the world-famous Dalyan, Sarıgerme, İztuzu beach and the ancient city of Kaunos, an application process was initiated in the beginning of August, and 8,235 people, among whom some were foreigners, applied to the project.
The applicants filled in application forms on the website bestjobinturkey.com and uploaded two-minute videos introducing themselves. Among the applicants were students, businesspersons, photographers, social media experts, guides, teachers, doctors and travelers. As a result, Tanay from Istanbul was selected to become the “professional tourist.” 

All expenditures of the project have been met by the Ortaca Municipality, artisans and civil society organizations. Tanay will be paid 30,000 liras at the end of the holiday. 

Tanay says people interested in the project can follow @bestjobinturkey and @efetanay on Instagram.