Birgi: An Exemplary Destination for Sustainable Tourism
Birgi, which has managed to preserve its architectural texture for centuries, hosts thousands of visitors every year with these unique features. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, within the framework of sustainable tourism studies carried out by the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, evaluation studies are carried out by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
GSTC Director Dr. Mihee Kang and her expert team are examining in detail the compliance of Birgi, which has preserved its architectural texture for 7 centuries, with the GSTC Destination Criteria. The experts are holding comprehensive interviews and organizing field trips with tourism stakeholders, including local governments, public institutions and organizations, representatives from the tourism sector, non-governmental organizations and academics in Birgi.
At the end of these evaluations, the steps to be taken towards becoming a sustainable tourism destination in Birgi will be determined in line with the report to be prepared by the experts. When Birgi is recognized as a sustainable tourism destination, tourism activities will be managed according to environmental, social, cultural and economic carrying capacity.
The GSTC Destination Criteria implemented in Birgi, in line with the indicators of the United Nations (UN) World Tourism Organization, aims to create sustainable destination management, provide social and economic benefits for local people, offer advantages for visitors and cultural heritage, and maximize benefits for the environment. Minimizing negative impacts is an integral part of this process.
“Türkiye Leads the World in Sustainable Tourism”
Dr. Mihee Kang stated that Birgi’s preserved architectural structures deeply impressed her. Kang stated that the aim of GSTC is to support tourism in harmony with nature and the environment, to ensure cooperation between the private sector and public institutions within the framework of global standards, and to contribute to the sustainability of destinations.
Emphasizing that they focus on developing balanced solutions for the needs of tourism stakeholders, Kang said: “Sustainable tourism has two basic elements. The first is to leave all the assets we currently enjoy to future generations, and the second is to be able to respond “For example, the industry and the local people may have different needs. We are working on how to address these needs in a balanced way.”
Kang stated that Turkey has achieved significant success in the field of sustainable tourism, and said, “Turkey embarked on a sustainable tourism journey and included the entire tourism sector in this process. It ensured that hotels are compliant with global standards with the certification process it “This program has surprised many countries globally. In this context, Turkey is leading the world in sustainable tourism.”
“I Believe Birgi Will Be a Good Model”
Mihee Kang stated that Birgi’s culturally preserved assets are impressive and said, “These structures were preserved with the cooperation of the public sector and the local people. In this sense, there is great potential here, but in the future, this process needs to be continued with the participation of not only the public sector but also various stakeholders. I believe that Birgi will be a good model with the cooperation of different stakeholders under the leadership of various ministries.”
