With “Revitalisation of History in Şanlıurfa” Project implemented under the lead of WEglobal between 2016-2018 where the Ministry of Industry and Technology acted as Contracting Authority and the beneficiary was Karacadağ Development Agency, it was aimed to develop and implement a destination management model in tourism sector where public and private sectors can collaborate and take joint steps. The Project was co-financed by the Republic of Turkey and the European Union. Under the scope of the Project, activities regarding sustainability strategies, branding and promotion were carried out; capacity-building activities were organised towards relevant actors in the sector and required infrastructure works were carried out to increase competitiveness of the region in the sector.

As a result of the sustainable target management model developed, branding activities carried out within the scope of 2020 Şanlıurfa Tourism Marketing Strategy and promotional activities carried out in fairs targeting domestic and international tourism, important steps were taken to make Şanlıurfa a “Brand Culture City.” An important result of the project was to gather tourism investments and projects in a common platform. In this way, all the information needed to develop thematic tours with different destinations were presented to international and local tourists coming to the region and tour operators in a single area. As a result of all these initiatives, Şanlıurfa had an important place in world tourism map. Under the scope the project lasting 24 months, in addition to environmental planning, historical areas, roads and buildings of the city were restored, existing building were rendered functional.

Contribution to Tourism with a Budget of 9,6 Million Euros

A comprehensive tourism plan was prepared to develop tourism in the city. With the implementation of an effective destination management model and management structure, the project managed to increase the competitiveness of Şanlıurfa, and the number of tourists visiting the city increased significantly. Development of tracking routes for tourists and creation of facilities to facilitate access to touristic centres and museums are among main activities undertaken under the scope of the project. Furthermore, the first steps of an international archaeology conference and an annual festival were taken.

Human resources capacity in tourism sector was increased through various training programmes with the aim of enhancing service quality in tourism sector. Göbeklitepe broke a record with 1 million visitors in 2018. According to data of Province Directorate of Culture and Tourism, last year 806 thousand domestic and international tourists visited Şanlıurfa.

Göbeklitepe inscribed in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List

The project was introduced to more than 51,000 international participants in World Travel Market organised in London in 2018. It was found out that Şanlıurfa attracting the attention of the whole world with recent archaeological researches is home to the oldest civilization ruins of the earth. Centre of the first temple of the world, Göbeklitepe was inscribed in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2018. Mr. Levent Erkan, President of Board of Directors of WEglobal, said the following about the success of the project: “As one of the most important outputs of the project, with the inscription of Göbeklitepe in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, a significant contribution was made to tourism in the region and in Turkey. We managed this through the cooperation of the Ministry of Industry and Technology and Karacadağ Development Agency by elaborating an effective tourism governance model and strategy, branding and promotion activities, developing the capacity of tourism actors and creating synergy with other tourism projects in the region.”

Best Project of the Year

The Project implemented under Competitive Sectors Programme was awarded “Best Project of the Year” and “Best Project Team of the Year” on April 4, 2019 under Çetin Ceviz Ödülleri organised by TPYME (Turkish Project Management Professional Institute). The Project received “Project of the Year Award” in 2018 in the category of City Destination Planning. For further details related to leading firm please see: www.weglobal.org