World Religious Travel Expo drawing participants from 28 countries, 6 continents to Orlando
Website article link: http://www.churchexecutive.com/news.asp?N_ID=1443
LITTLETON, CO – Travel providers and planners from 28 countries on six continents will gather in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, for the inaugural World Religious Travel Expo and Educational Conference. With registration still underway, organizers are already preparing extra exhibit space to accommodate companies that continue to join the first large-scale forum of the $18 billion worldwide religious travel industry.
Destinations, tour operators, cruise lines, attractions, hotel properties, car rental companies and a host of other providers and planners from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Holy Land will be represented at this assembly of Who’s Who in the growing faith tourism industry.
“Faith tourism has evolved to the point where a gathering of this magnitude is necessary for the industry to respond to the needs of today’s faith-based consumers,” said Kevin J. Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association (WRTA), host of the event. “Our global partners recognize that – just as in music, books and film – contemporary religious consumers represent tremendous market potential for travel organizations willing to provide meaningful products and services that meet their specific needs.”
The exhibitors and products show the diversity of the faith tourism industry. Alongside obvious religious travel suppliers such as the Steps of Paul Coastal Cruises and the tourism ministries of Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Jordan and Israel, are those with a less overt connection, such as:
EcoAndes Travel, Ecuador (Adventure tours in South America)
Nissi Holidays, Uganda; Cordial Tours and Travel Services, Tanzania (Africa safari operators)
Armenian Tourism Development Agency
Korea Tourism Organization
Bahamas Ministry of Tourism
Condor Verde Travel (Mexico and Venezuela)
The WRTA Expo will feature two venues: The International Tradeshow and The Educational Conference. The combined event provides a one-stop opportunity for travel suppliers, destinations and wholesalers to come face-to-face with more than 400 agents and church travel planners to develop partnerships, introduce new products and services, generate qualified leads and build long-term relationships.
The Expo will be held Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2008 at the Gaylord Palms Resort Hotel & Convention Center in Orlando. For more information, including a complete list of exhibitors, visit www.religioustravelexpo.com.
August 20, 2008
August 19, 2008
Saudi Arabia benefits from religious tourism
Full story: http://www.gulfnews.com/business/Business_Feature/10238196.html
Pilgrimage
At the same time, Saudi Arabia benefits from the religious tourism. It is estimated that pilgrimage to Makkah generates 27 billion Saudi riyals every year for country.
Pilgrimage
At the same time, Saudi Arabia benefits from the religious tourism. It is estimated that pilgrimage to Makkah generates 27 billion Saudi riyals every year for country.
August 18, 2008
More and more people taking faith-based vacations
Article link: http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/819894.html
Newspaper: Forth Worth Star-Telegram
By TERRY LEE GOODRICH
tgoodrich@star-telegram.com
For Bernard and Carol Kern, the highlight of their May trip to Turkey came in the Garden of Religions in the seaport city Antalya.
The retirees from North Richland Hills said that as they stood in the shadow of a mosque, a synagogue and a chapel, they thought of the words of the biblical prophet Malachi: "Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us?" (American King James Version)
To view the full article, please visit: http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/819894.html
Interested in religious tourism?
Faith-based travel is rising dramatically, said Kevin Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association, a Colorado-based global network.
Here are some of his observations about religious tourism during a question-and-answer session with the Star-Telegram:
I have heard travel called the "fourth pillar" of the faith-based consumer marketplace. What does that mean?
Faith-based music and publishing industries grew enormously in the past two decades, the film industry in the last decade. Now we’re seeing an increase in people incorporating their faith into travel.
Talk about the history of faith-based travel.
Well, religious tourism is possibly the oldest form of tourism, with roots lying in the Egyptian empire, when they would host religious festivals. They had to have food, drinks, camel rides.
Pilgrimages to Jerusalem or Mecca, as well as mission trips, have been the bread and butter. But now what we’re seeing is more what we call "fellowship travel" on other trips and vacations.
How is fellowship travel different from simply taking a trip with someone who shares your faith?
An example is faith-based cruising. Some will have a speaker or speakers from their faith community or maybe some authors. Sometimes, Christians sell out a whole cruise with Christian artists on board. That’s especially appealing for the younger generation, because these [musicians] are their celebrities.
There also are Caribbean and Mediterranean trips, with the Mediterranean having a little more in the way of religious sites like Ephesus or Greece or New Testament sites.
But there are even trips to Alaska and faith-based African safaris. You ask, "What the heck makes that faith-based?" Just traveling together with prayers before meals and devotions make that faith-based, and now a number of tour operators are faith-based.
________________________________________
A growth industry
Overseas religious travel by Americans over the past five years has increased 54 percent, nearly twice the 28 percent increase in general overseas travel, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
12 percent of travelers said they are more interested in taking a spiritual vacation than they were five years ago.
The appeal of a spiritual vacation spans age groups, with about one-third of each (18-34 years old, 35-54 and 55-plus) expressing interest.
— Terry Lee Goodrich
Newspaper: Forth Worth Star-Telegram
By TERRY LEE GOODRICH
tgoodrich@star-telegram.com
For Bernard and Carol Kern, the highlight of their May trip to Turkey came in the Garden of Religions in the seaport city Antalya.
The retirees from North Richland Hills said that as they stood in the shadow of a mosque, a synagogue and a chapel, they thought of the words of the biblical prophet Malachi: "Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us?" (American King James Version)
To view the full article, please visit: http://www.star-telegram.com/religion/story/819894.html
Interested in religious tourism?
Faith-based travel is rising dramatically, said Kevin Wright, president of the World Religious Travel Association, a Colorado-based global network.
Here are some of his observations about religious tourism during a question-and-answer session with the Star-Telegram:
I have heard travel called the "fourth pillar" of the faith-based consumer marketplace. What does that mean?
Faith-based music and publishing industries grew enormously in the past two decades, the film industry in the last decade. Now we’re seeing an increase in people incorporating their faith into travel.
Talk about the history of faith-based travel.
Well, religious tourism is possibly the oldest form of tourism, with roots lying in the Egyptian empire, when they would host religious festivals. They had to have food, drinks, camel rides.
Pilgrimages to Jerusalem or Mecca, as well as mission trips, have been the bread and butter. But now what we’re seeing is more what we call "fellowship travel" on other trips and vacations.
How is fellowship travel different from simply taking a trip with someone who shares your faith?
An example is faith-based cruising. Some will have a speaker or speakers from their faith community or maybe some authors. Sometimes, Christians sell out a whole cruise with Christian artists on board. That’s especially appealing for the younger generation, because these [musicians] are their celebrities.
There also are Caribbean and Mediterranean trips, with the Mediterranean having a little more in the way of religious sites like Ephesus or Greece or New Testament sites.
But there are even trips to Alaska and faith-based African safaris. You ask, "What the heck makes that faith-based?" Just traveling together with prayers before meals and devotions make that faith-based, and now a number of tour operators are faith-based.
________________________________________
A growth industry
Overseas religious travel by Americans over the past five years has increased 54 percent, nearly twice the 28 percent increase in general overseas travel, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
12 percent of travelers said they are more interested in taking a spiritual vacation than they were five years ago.
The appeal of a spiritual vacation spans age groups, with about one-third of each (18-34 years old, 35-54 and 55-plus) expressing interest.
— Terry Lee Goodrich
August 17, 2008
Capital city of Malaysia to tap religious tourism with packages
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/2322020/Article/index_html
KUALA LUMPUR: Religious tourism is set to be the next trend in travel after the setting up of a special joint committee by the Tourism Ministry to promote the practice.
Among the first tourism packages that will be put together under the plan are homestay programmes during Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations.
The package will allow tourists to experience the kampung lifestyle as well as witness the sacrificial ceremony conducted at most villages.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the committee, set up in collaboration with the Religious Affairs Division in the Prime Minister's Department and several agencies and non-governmental organisations, would promote all the major religions in the country.
An allocation would be set aside by the ministry to develop religious tourism as a niche product that had a huge potential to generate revenue and increase tourist arrivals.
"We've had tourists visiting certain villages to witness the slaughtering of cattle and goats during Hari Raya Aidiladha. We used to do this on a big scale in Negri Sembilan, and now, we will take it nationwide."
The ministry will also promote Thaipusam and Wesak Day celebrations on a big scale.
KUALA LUMPUR: Religious tourism is set to be the next trend in travel after the setting up of a special joint committee by the Tourism Ministry to promote the practice.
Among the first tourism packages that will be put together under the plan are homestay programmes during Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations.
The package will allow tourists to experience the kampung lifestyle as well as witness the sacrificial ceremony conducted at most villages.
Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the committee, set up in collaboration with the Religious Affairs Division in the Prime Minister's Department and several agencies and non-governmental organisations, would promote all the major religions in the country.
An allocation would be set aside by the ministry to develop religious tourism as a niche product that had a huge potential to generate revenue and increase tourist arrivals.
"We've had tourists visiting certain villages to witness the slaughtering of cattle and goats during Hari Raya Aidiladha. We used to do this on a big scale in Negri Sembilan, and now, we will take it nationwide."
The ministry will also promote Thaipusam and Wesak Day celebrations on a big scale.
August 6, 2008
Iraq to promote religious tourism
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1829463,00.html
TIME Magazine speaks about Iraq and religious tourism. Here are a couple of sample articles....
February 22, 2006 was when it all went to hell. At least, that's how many Iraqis— Sunnis and Shi'ites alike — remember it. That was the day a powerful bomb set by Sunni extremists ripped through the golden dome of the ancient al-Askari Shrine, one of the holiest sites of Shi'ism, located in the predominantly Sunni city of Samarra, 65 miles north of Baghdad. The blast triggered a round of sectarian bombings, massacres and kidnappings so horrifying that for the next year and a half, many Iraqis would wonder if life would ever return to normal — and had many in Washington warning of an intractable slide into civil war.
But the progress in Samarra, like much of Iraq, is precarious. Though insurgent attacks have dropped dramatically, "the biggest concern now is unemployment, because it directly affects the security situation," said General Mohammed. And reconstructing the shrine is central to the prospects of a city whose economy has for years depended largely on religious tourism.
TIME Magazine speaks about Iraq and religious tourism. Here are a couple of sample articles....
February 22, 2006 was when it all went to hell. At least, that's how many Iraqis— Sunnis and Shi'ites alike — remember it. That was the day a powerful bomb set by Sunni extremists ripped through the golden dome of the ancient al-Askari Shrine, one of the holiest sites of Shi'ism, located in the predominantly Sunni city of Samarra, 65 miles north of Baghdad. The blast triggered a round of sectarian bombings, massacres and kidnappings so horrifying that for the next year and a half, many Iraqis would wonder if life would ever return to normal — and had many in Washington warning of an intractable slide into civil war.
But the progress in Samarra, like much of Iraq, is precarious. Though insurgent attacks have dropped dramatically, "the biggest concern now is unemployment, because it directly affects the security situation," said General Mohammed. And reconstructing the shrine is central to the prospects of a city whose economy has for years depended largely on religious tourism.
Madhya Pradesh Tourism plans to promote Religious Tourism
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/27061131.htm
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) has drawn up an ambitious plan to promote religious tourism among domestic travellers by developing quality infrastructure at sacred places in the State.
“Besides focusing on attracting foreigners, the corporation has drawn up a plan to promote religious tourism in the State by developing quality infrastructure at the places of religious importance,” the MPTDC Chairman, Mr Dhruv Narayan Singh, told pressp ersons here on Tuesday evening.
The Centre had recently sanctioned Rs 2.84 crore for developing tourist facilities at Hoshangabad, situated on the banks of Narmada, he said. With this fund, tourist facilities and beautification work at several places in the town and also at nearby Band rabhan will be carried out to promote religious tourism.
The Union Tourism Ministry has already sanctioned funds for developing banks of river Narmada in Hoshangabad under the Narmada Parikrama route. The work in this regard has been completed by the MPTDC, Mr Singh said.
Besides, under the scheme tourist facilities will be developed at Chitrakoot, Orchha, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Maihar, Ujjain, Salkanpur, Baglamukhi Devi Temple (Shajapur), Kudeshwar (Tikamgarh) and Chamunda Devi Temple (Dewas). - PTI
Prev: Swiss design exhibition opens in Ahmedabad
Next: Send fertiliser immediately: Patnaik's SOS to Paswan
BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) has drawn up an ambitious plan to promote religious tourism among domestic travellers by developing quality infrastructure at sacred places in the State.
“Besides focusing on attracting foreigners, the corporation has drawn up a plan to promote religious tourism in the State by developing quality infrastructure at the places of religious importance,” the MPTDC Chairman, Mr Dhruv Narayan Singh, told pressp ersons here on Tuesday evening.
The Centre had recently sanctioned Rs 2.84 crore for developing tourist facilities at Hoshangabad, situated on the banks of Narmada, he said. With this fund, tourist facilities and beautification work at several places in the town and also at nearby Band rabhan will be carried out to promote religious tourism.
The Union Tourism Ministry has already sanctioned funds for developing banks of river Narmada in Hoshangabad under the Narmada Parikrama route. The work in this regard has been completed by the MPTDC, Mr Singh said.
Besides, under the scheme tourist facilities will be developed at Chitrakoot, Orchha, Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, Maihar, Ujjain, Salkanpur, Baglamukhi Devi Temple (Shajapur), Kudeshwar (Tikamgarh) and Chamunda Devi Temple (Dewas). - PTI
Prev: Swiss design exhibition opens in Ahmedabad
Next: Send fertiliser immediately: Patnaik's SOS to Paswan
August 1, 2008
Iraq's new venture: Religious tourism in the Garden of Eden
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=31317768
Iraq is trying to lure visitors to the land of Babylon with the slogan 'tourism not terrorism'. There is no shortage of ancient attractions, says Kim Sengupta
Friday, 1 August 2008
It is a country that has become synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian killings, abductions and refugees – the savage legacy of one of the most emotive and controversial wars of recent times.
Yet the government of Iraq insists all that will soon be in the past and that the cradle of civilisation, the land of Babylon and the Garden of Eden, will become a paradise for foreign tourists.
With the surge in US troop numbers curbing much of the violence in recent months, and the ragged economy buoyed by petrodollars, the Iraqi government maintains that the time has come for a concerted push to attract visitors under the slogan "tourism not terrorism".
Tourist bureaux are due to be set up in a number of countries and Iraqi delegations are being sent abroad to study the industry. A group from Basra has already visited Northern Ireland, which has seen a boom in visitors since the IRA declared its ceasefire. Another delegation is expected next month, when they will be lectured on post-conflict development by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Ministier of Northern Ireland.
There are, of course, obvious obstacles in attempting to turn one of the most dangerous places in the world into a viable holiday destination. Deadly attacks continue on a fairly regular basis, with two bomb blasts claiming the lives of 57 people and injuring 300 in Baghdad and Kirkuk on Monday. And no one can be quite sure what will happen once the Americans begin to reduce their troop numbers.
In addition, three wars in the past few decades have left the infrastructure shattered and caused terrible damage to many of Iraq's most precious antiquities. Some of those sites, which could be major tourist attractions, have been badly affected. The fabled golden dome of the Al-Askari shrine in Samarra was blown up in 2006, the national museum in Baghdad was looted following the "liberation" in 2003 as American troops looked on, the Arch of Ctesiphon was hit by shrapnel in the 1991 war, US forces camped on ruins from the Abbasid dynasty in Samarra, and Saddam Hussein caused devastation after parts of ancient Babylon were "redesigned".
Some areas remain simply too dangerous for the traveller. The archaeological digs at Nineveh lie beyond Mosul, a hotbed of Sunni insurgency, and Basra, once described as the "Venice of the East", has become better known in recent years as a city run by fanatical Shia militias where a hundred women were murdered for "unIslamic" acts in less than a year.
But Hamood al-Yakoubi, head of the Iraqi tourist board, is adamant that the ambitious project remains on track. "Of course we have problems after what has happened to this country, but we are rebuilding and we must look forward," he said.
"Iraq used to have lots of visitors coming in the 1970s and 80s, so we have a tradition of tourism here. As we get more peace, people will come. Our job is to make sure that they get looked after well, they have nice places to stay and a comfortable way to travel."
Iraqi officials say there are definite signs of progress. The 11th-century Al-Askari shrine is being restored, albeit with the workers undergoing strict security checks in case one of them tries to blow it up again, and there are plans to refurbish Basra's once famous corniche. Highly valuable artefacts that were stolen during the chaos following the 2003 invasion have also been returned to the country – the latest batch of 2,466 items was handed over by Jordanian authorities last month.
Architects and engineers are considering plans to turn Saddam Hussein's former palace complex in his home town of Tikrit into a themed tourist destination. The complex, which contains 18 palaces and 118 other buildings, is surrounded by rolling gardens overlooking the Tigris.
The Iraqi government also wants to promote religious tourism by drawing more pilgrims to Najaf, one of the holiest of Shia shrines, which already draws around nine million visitors a year. After arriving on an inaugural flight to the city's new airport, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared that the new Iraq was opening its doors to foreign investors and visitors.
Shia Iran is ready to provide a lot of those visitors and has been pressing Iraq to increase the number of its nationals allowed in as pilgrims six-fold, to three million a year. But the Americans, who have repeatedly charged Iran with sending arms and explosives to kill Western forces in Iraq, are said to be urging Mr Maliki not to agree to the request from Tehran.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, hotels such as the Palestine, where foreign journalists stayed during the last war – and a number were killed and injured after a US Army Abrams tank opened fire on the building – and the Rashid, which during Saddam's rule used to have George W Bush's face adorning the floor of the foyer, so that visitors could walk on it, are being renovated. But all of them, it is claimed, will be dwarfed in luxury by a proposed "seven star" 23-storey tall hotel first mooted three years ago. Building may start on the project soon, according to officials.
Just as Iraq's oil is drawing in foreign firms, some outsiders are also being attracted by the lucrative construction contracts that are being offered by the government in anticipation of a tourist boom.
Llewellyn Werner, a Californian businessman, has taken out a 50-year lease on a 20-hectare (50-acre) site adjacent to the Green Zone – the heavily fortified enclave where Iraqi and Western officials are based – to build an "entertainment experience". When completed, he says it will feature a concert theatre, museum, amusement rides and skateboard park.
Mr Warner estimates that the project could cost as much as $500m (£250m), but will still be "enormously profitable". "I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't making money," he said. "I also have this wonderful sense that we're doing the right thing. We're going to employ thousands of Iraqis, but mostly everything is for profit."
The Kuwaiti company al-Aqeelah has invested heavily in Najaf, including building a new airport at the city. Nazeh Khalaj, an al-Aqeelah executive, said: "The question shouldn't be about why we chose to invest in Najaf. The question should be 'why don't we choose Najaf?'. It's one of the noblest places in the world. We want to build new homes and hotels in the city."
Iraqi businessmen are also eager to benefit from any tourist boom. Hussein al-Rahimi, who is visiting London as part of a fact-finding trip on tourism, said: "Foreign visitors coming is a sign of a society returning to normality. I am very proud of my country and its history. I want to talk to holiday firms in Europe and tell them Iraq is not as dangerous as people think. I have heard that there are people taking their holidays in Northern Ireland and that is helping the economy. If they can do it there, why not in Iraq?"
Mr Rahimi, however, stays in the Jordanian capital, Amman, and has, so far, only made flying visits to Iraq. Three years ago, during a respite in violence, there was talk of Basra opening up to visitors. At the time, a city official said: "Tourists should dress like locals and maybe dye their hair. And they should have armed guards and they should be always vigilant."
So, have things improved? Haidar Mohammed al-Hakim, who works in the governor's office, said: "One can reduce the numbers of armed guards. Definitely, it is a safe place. But it may be good to have one or two."
I was the first foreign tourist for years
In the autumn of 2002, I was being shown around the archaeological digs in the city of Nineveh by the director of antiquities for northern Iraq. I was, he said, the first visitor to come to the site in months, and the first foreigner for years. A few weeks later, I climbed the extraordinary spiral minaret in the style of an ancient Mesopotamian ziggurat at Samarra. I wondered at the time whether these sites would one day be thronged with visitors again, or whether they would be reduced to ruins in the war looming just over the horizon.
After the invasion of March 2003, some of us tried to return, security permitting, to some of the wonderful places we were able to visit before "liberation" – with varying degrees of success. Three years on, the digs at Nineveh were in a sorry state, with signs of plundering. The museum at Mosul was empty and locked up, the director had fled abroad, and one of his assistants, Ahmed Hussein, had been shot dead, allegedly by the Scorpion Brigade, one of the Iraqi government's special forces.
Samarra had experienced a number of devastating car bombings, with horrendous casualties, while other civilians had become "collateral damage" in an American offensive against insurgents. The city was extremely tense.
The minaret and the Shia al-Askari shrine appeared to have escaped damage in the fighting, but an elderly imam complained that hardly anyone came to the shrine from out of town because of the security situation. Four months later, the golden dome of the shrine was blown up by Sunni extremists, triggering sectarian violence that would claim thousands of lives.
In Baghdad, pictures of the looting of the National Museum have become an iconic image of the anarchy which followed the fall of the Iraqi capital. In 2005, it was shut down, the remaining treasures having been locked away in underground vaults. Guards with Kalashnikov assault rifles stood on the parched garden in front of the building, its yellow paint flaking in the sun.
Mudhar al-Zuhairi, one of the museum's senior managers, told me: "Of course we are angry about what has happened. It is history which was stolen, not just the history of Iraq but the history of the world. But one day, Inshallah, we shall get our treasures back and people will see the glory of their past."
Kim Sengupta
Simon Calder: Five safe breaks in dangerous places
Johannesburg
South Africa's biggest city gets a bad rap even from South African citizens. I found a welcoming heart full of colour and culture – with the Market Theatre at the heart of a revitalised city centre.
Bogota
Four kidnappings a day was the norm in the Colombian capital a decade ago. Today, it's a very different story: I found friendly police on every corner and a collective civic exuberance.
Colombo
The capital of Sri Lanka has been the target for repeated terrorist attacks and the centre resembles 1980s Belfast on a bad day. Yet the rest of Colombo has a strange serenity.
Sarajevo
Of all these "dangerous" places, Sarajevo is the one that most closely resembles a war zone. But the the Bosnian capital is now perfectly safe – so long as you dodge the building sites.
Kingston
Jamaica's capital is where many of the island's murders are committed. Yet the tourist can remain unaware while wandering through the parks, markets and colonial remnants before a finale at the Bob Marley Museum.
Iraq is trying to lure visitors to the land of Babylon with the slogan 'tourism not terrorism'. There is no shortage of ancient attractions, says Kim Sengupta
Friday, 1 August 2008
It is a country that has become synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian killings, abductions and refugees – the savage legacy of one of the most emotive and controversial wars of recent times.
Yet the government of Iraq insists all that will soon be in the past and that the cradle of civilisation, the land of Babylon and the Garden of Eden, will become a paradise for foreign tourists.
With the surge in US troop numbers curbing much of the violence in recent months, and the ragged economy buoyed by petrodollars, the Iraqi government maintains that the time has come for a concerted push to attract visitors under the slogan "tourism not terrorism".
Tourist bureaux are due to be set up in a number of countries and Iraqi delegations are being sent abroad to study the industry. A group from Basra has already visited Northern Ireland, which has seen a boom in visitors since the IRA declared its ceasefire. Another delegation is expected next month, when they will be lectured on post-conflict development by Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness, the Deputy First Ministier of Northern Ireland.
There are, of course, obvious obstacles in attempting to turn one of the most dangerous places in the world into a viable holiday destination. Deadly attacks continue on a fairly regular basis, with two bomb blasts claiming the lives of 57 people and injuring 300 in Baghdad and Kirkuk on Monday. And no one can be quite sure what will happen once the Americans begin to reduce their troop numbers.
In addition, three wars in the past few decades have left the infrastructure shattered and caused terrible damage to many of Iraq's most precious antiquities. Some of those sites, which could be major tourist attractions, have been badly affected. The fabled golden dome of the Al-Askari shrine in Samarra was blown up in 2006, the national museum in Baghdad was looted following the "liberation" in 2003 as American troops looked on, the Arch of Ctesiphon was hit by shrapnel in the 1991 war, US forces camped on ruins from the Abbasid dynasty in Samarra, and Saddam Hussein caused devastation after parts of ancient Babylon were "redesigned".
Some areas remain simply too dangerous for the traveller. The archaeological digs at Nineveh lie beyond Mosul, a hotbed of Sunni insurgency, and Basra, once described as the "Venice of the East", has become better known in recent years as a city run by fanatical Shia militias where a hundred women were murdered for "unIslamic" acts in less than a year.
But Hamood al-Yakoubi, head of the Iraqi tourist board, is adamant that the ambitious project remains on track. "Of course we have problems after what has happened to this country, but we are rebuilding and we must look forward," he said.
"Iraq used to have lots of visitors coming in the 1970s and 80s, so we have a tradition of tourism here. As we get more peace, people will come. Our job is to make sure that they get looked after well, they have nice places to stay and a comfortable way to travel."
Iraqi officials say there are definite signs of progress. The 11th-century Al-Askari shrine is being restored, albeit with the workers undergoing strict security checks in case one of them tries to blow it up again, and there are plans to refurbish Basra's once famous corniche. Highly valuable artefacts that were stolen during the chaos following the 2003 invasion have also been returned to the country – the latest batch of 2,466 items was handed over by Jordanian authorities last month.
Architects and engineers are considering plans to turn Saddam Hussein's former palace complex in his home town of Tikrit into a themed tourist destination. The complex, which contains 18 palaces and 118 other buildings, is surrounded by rolling gardens overlooking the Tigris.
The Iraqi government also wants to promote religious tourism by drawing more pilgrims to Najaf, one of the holiest of Shia shrines, which already draws around nine million visitors a year. After arriving on an inaugural flight to the city's new airport, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared that the new Iraq was opening its doors to foreign investors and visitors.
Shia Iran is ready to provide a lot of those visitors and has been pressing Iraq to increase the number of its nationals allowed in as pilgrims six-fold, to three million a year. But the Americans, who have repeatedly charged Iran with sending arms and explosives to kill Western forces in Iraq, are said to be urging Mr Maliki not to agree to the request from Tehran.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, hotels such as the Palestine, where foreign journalists stayed during the last war – and a number were killed and injured after a US Army Abrams tank opened fire on the building – and the Rashid, which during Saddam's rule used to have George W Bush's face adorning the floor of the foyer, so that visitors could walk on it, are being renovated. But all of them, it is claimed, will be dwarfed in luxury by a proposed "seven star" 23-storey tall hotel first mooted three years ago. Building may start on the project soon, according to officials.
Just as Iraq's oil is drawing in foreign firms, some outsiders are also being attracted by the lucrative construction contracts that are being offered by the government in anticipation of a tourist boom.
Llewellyn Werner, a Californian businessman, has taken out a 50-year lease on a 20-hectare (50-acre) site adjacent to the Green Zone – the heavily fortified enclave where Iraqi and Western officials are based – to build an "entertainment experience". When completed, he says it will feature a concert theatre, museum, amusement rides and skateboard park.
Mr Warner estimates that the project could cost as much as $500m (£250m), but will still be "enormously profitable". "I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't making money," he said. "I also have this wonderful sense that we're doing the right thing. We're going to employ thousands of Iraqis, but mostly everything is for profit."
The Kuwaiti company al-Aqeelah has invested heavily in Najaf, including building a new airport at the city. Nazeh Khalaj, an al-Aqeelah executive, said: "The question shouldn't be about why we chose to invest in Najaf. The question should be 'why don't we choose Najaf?'. It's one of the noblest places in the world. We want to build new homes and hotels in the city."
Iraqi businessmen are also eager to benefit from any tourist boom. Hussein al-Rahimi, who is visiting London as part of a fact-finding trip on tourism, said: "Foreign visitors coming is a sign of a society returning to normality. I am very proud of my country and its history. I want to talk to holiday firms in Europe and tell them Iraq is not as dangerous as people think. I have heard that there are people taking their holidays in Northern Ireland and that is helping the economy. If they can do it there, why not in Iraq?"
Mr Rahimi, however, stays in the Jordanian capital, Amman, and has, so far, only made flying visits to Iraq. Three years ago, during a respite in violence, there was talk of Basra opening up to visitors. At the time, a city official said: "Tourists should dress like locals and maybe dye their hair. And they should have armed guards and they should be always vigilant."
So, have things improved? Haidar Mohammed al-Hakim, who works in the governor's office, said: "One can reduce the numbers of armed guards. Definitely, it is a safe place. But it may be good to have one or two."
I was the first foreign tourist for years
In the autumn of 2002, I was being shown around the archaeological digs in the city of Nineveh by the director of antiquities for northern Iraq. I was, he said, the first visitor to come to the site in months, and the first foreigner for years. A few weeks later, I climbed the extraordinary spiral minaret in the style of an ancient Mesopotamian ziggurat at Samarra. I wondered at the time whether these sites would one day be thronged with visitors again, or whether they would be reduced to ruins in the war looming just over the horizon.
After the invasion of March 2003, some of us tried to return, security permitting, to some of the wonderful places we were able to visit before "liberation" – with varying degrees of success. Three years on, the digs at Nineveh were in a sorry state, with signs of plundering. The museum at Mosul was empty and locked up, the director had fled abroad, and one of his assistants, Ahmed Hussein, had been shot dead, allegedly by the Scorpion Brigade, one of the Iraqi government's special forces.
Samarra had experienced a number of devastating car bombings, with horrendous casualties, while other civilians had become "collateral damage" in an American offensive against insurgents. The city was extremely tense.
The minaret and the Shia al-Askari shrine appeared to have escaped damage in the fighting, but an elderly imam complained that hardly anyone came to the shrine from out of town because of the security situation. Four months later, the golden dome of the shrine was blown up by Sunni extremists, triggering sectarian violence that would claim thousands of lives.
In Baghdad, pictures of the looting of the National Museum have become an iconic image of the anarchy which followed the fall of the Iraqi capital. In 2005, it was shut down, the remaining treasures having been locked away in underground vaults. Guards with Kalashnikov assault rifles stood on the parched garden in front of the building, its yellow paint flaking in the sun.
Mudhar al-Zuhairi, one of the museum's senior managers, told me: "Of course we are angry about what has happened. It is history which was stolen, not just the history of Iraq but the history of the world. But one day, Inshallah, we shall get our treasures back and people will see the glory of their past."
Kim Sengupta
Simon Calder: Five safe breaks in dangerous places
Johannesburg
South Africa's biggest city gets a bad rap even from South African citizens. I found a welcoming heart full of colour and culture – with the Market Theatre at the heart of a revitalised city centre.
Bogota
Four kidnappings a day was the norm in the Colombian capital a decade ago. Today, it's a very different story: I found friendly police on every corner and a collective civic exuberance.
Colombo
The capital of Sri Lanka has been the target for repeated terrorist attacks and the centre resembles 1980s Belfast on a bad day. Yet the rest of Colombo has a strange serenity.
Sarajevo
Of all these "dangerous" places, Sarajevo is the one that most closely resembles a war zone. But the the Bosnian capital is now perfectly safe – so long as you dodge the building sites.
Kingston
Jamaica's capital is where many of the island's murders are committed. Yet the tourist can remain unaware while wandering through the parks, markets and colonial remnants before a finale at the Bob Marley Museum.
July 26, 2008
Vacations with purpose surge in popularity
By JEFF STRICKLER, Star Tribune
July 25, 2008
Website http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/25898194.html?location_refer=Lifestyle
Steve and Alice Mohror are on vacation this week, but they haven't ventured far from their south Minneapolis home. It has nothing to do with one of those "staycations" motivated by a need to save money. Theirs is a higher calling: using their free time to help others.
"I want to give back to this neighborhood because it's my neighborhood," said Steve Mohror, part of a crew of volunteers building a privacy fence for a homeowner who was trying to put some distance -- both physical and symbolic -- between her well-maintained home and the abandoned, foreclosed house next door.
"I drive down these streets every day," Mohror continued. "Now when I drive by this place, I'm going to be able to say, 'I was there with a crew and helped make it better.'"
The Mohrors are part of a movement that's been around for decades, but has skyrocketed in the past few years, especially since Hurricane Katrina: using a week -- or more, in some cases -- of vacation to do volunteer labor for the less fortunate.
They're called "vacations with a purpose" or short-term mission trips. Once primarily the purview of church groups, they now also are arranged by service organizations reaching out to individuals and their families.
According to the Travel Industry Association, 2.1 million Americans will take "vacations with a purpose" this year, contributing the equivalent of $6 billion in labor. That number has doubled in five years, said Roger Peterson, CEO of STEM (Short-Term Evangelical Missions) International.
"In 2003, we were at about 1 million," said Peterson, who founded the Bloomington-based company in 1985 and often serves as a national spokesman for the industry. "Hurricane Katrina is responsible for much of that upsurge. On CNN and Fox [TV news], it was all Katrina, all the time, and people wanted to help."
In the process, a lot of people discovered that there's something addictive about it.
"You can't do just one," said Debbie Luth, a high school English teacher from Grand Forks, N.D., and a second-time volunteer who also worked on the privacy fence, part of a week's labor that included unloading semitruck trailers full of donated food and helping lead classes at the Boys and Girls Club of Minneapolis.
"This week, if I were home, I'd be working on my quilt or going to the lake to sun-tan," she said. "This is the only thing that will last. The quilt will unravel and the tan will fade, but this is something that makes a difference."
The fence was being built for Sadia Noor, a Somali immigrant who found out about the volunteer program in unusual fashion: She was trying to teach her daughter to drive when the teenager lost control of the car, smashed through a fence and came to a stop in a yard that turned out to belong to the Rev. Andy Gray.
Once they finished discussing what to do about the errant minivan, Gray mentioned that one of his duties at the Urban Refuge church in south Minneapolis was to organize short-term, in-town missions.
"We got to talking, and discovered that Sadia could use a little help," said Gray, who also had a crew help paint her house last year. "Sadia has turned out to be a very good friend."
This is the seventh summer Steve Mohror has used his vacation time for mission work. His wife is on her third summer. Asked what she gets out of it, Alice responded, "You mean besides the sweat? There's a lot of that." She laughed. "But there's also the chance to help someone who can't give back to you, and that feels good."
Brian Pals is in town for the week from Denver. He's an old hand at this. "I've spent at least one week on a mission trip every year since 1991," he said. He ended up in Minneapolis this year because his church "is a sister church to Andy's. We got a call from him. He was looking for money and people, and I said, 'I can do people.'"
In all, 40 people took part in various projects over the week as part of Gray's troop. The "grand finale," so to speak, takes place today when they all will gather at his church with volunteers from Kids Against Hunger for a "pack-a-thon" in which the goal is to pack 100,000 meals for children in Nicaragua and Haiti.
All in the family
Families also are welcome on many of the short-term missions. In fact, Twin Cities-based World Servants focuses on such endeavors.
"We get a lot of families who are looking for a way to reconnect," said operations manager Jennifer Kemper. "It's a common experience that the family can build on later. They get to go places and do things they wouldn't normally do together. It gives them something to talk about besides 'What did you do in school today?'"
The lesson of helping others is one that many youngsters take with them. Earlier this summer, Rachel Berns, 18, spent a week in the Twin Cities on a mission trip arranged by STEP. She's been doing such things since she was a little kid.
"My grandparents had a tradition of taking the whole family with them on a mission trip," she said from her home in Nebraska. "I really got to enjoy it. I know that summer is supposed to be a time to relax and goof off, but it's also important to serve God. It was a great experience going with my grandpa and grandma, and now I volunteer for a short-term mission every year."
Vacations with a purpose are becoming so popular that there's even a how-to book. "Hope Lives" (Group Publishing, $12.99) is based on humanitarian activist Amber van Schooneveld's experiences.
"There are a lot of misconceptions" about the missions, Van Schooneveld said. "To most people, it doesn't sound like a vacation. You're not sitting with your feet up; you're working. But you don't come back tired. You come back refreshed and recharged."
Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392
© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
July 25, 2008
Website http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/25898194.html?location_refer=Lifestyle
Steve and Alice Mohror are on vacation this week, but they haven't ventured far from their south Minneapolis home. It has nothing to do with one of those "staycations" motivated by a need to save money. Theirs is a higher calling: using their free time to help others.
"I want to give back to this neighborhood because it's my neighborhood," said Steve Mohror, part of a crew of volunteers building a privacy fence for a homeowner who was trying to put some distance -- both physical and symbolic -- between her well-maintained home and the abandoned, foreclosed house next door.
"I drive down these streets every day," Mohror continued. "Now when I drive by this place, I'm going to be able to say, 'I was there with a crew and helped make it better.'"
The Mohrors are part of a movement that's been around for decades, but has skyrocketed in the past few years, especially since Hurricane Katrina: using a week -- or more, in some cases -- of vacation to do volunteer labor for the less fortunate.
They're called "vacations with a purpose" or short-term mission trips. Once primarily the purview of church groups, they now also are arranged by service organizations reaching out to individuals and their families.
According to the Travel Industry Association, 2.1 million Americans will take "vacations with a purpose" this year, contributing the equivalent of $6 billion in labor. That number has doubled in five years, said Roger Peterson, CEO of STEM (Short-Term Evangelical Missions) International.
"In 2003, we were at about 1 million," said Peterson, who founded the Bloomington-based company in 1985 and often serves as a national spokesman for the industry. "Hurricane Katrina is responsible for much of that upsurge. On CNN and Fox [TV news], it was all Katrina, all the time, and people wanted to help."
In the process, a lot of people discovered that there's something addictive about it.
"You can't do just one," said Debbie Luth, a high school English teacher from Grand Forks, N.D., and a second-time volunteer who also worked on the privacy fence, part of a week's labor that included unloading semitruck trailers full of donated food and helping lead classes at the Boys and Girls Club of Minneapolis.
"This week, if I were home, I'd be working on my quilt or going to the lake to sun-tan," she said. "This is the only thing that will last. The quilt will unravel and the tan will fade, but this is something that makes a difference."
The fence was being built for Sadia Noor, a Somali immigrant who found out about the volunteer program in unusual fashion: She was trying to teach her daughter to drive when the teenager lost control of the car, smashed through a fence and came to a stop in a yard that turned out to belong to the Rev. Andy Gray.
Once they finished discussing what to do about the errant minivan, Gray mentioned that one of his duties at the Urban Refuge church in south Minneapolis was to organize short-term, in-town missions.
"We got to talking, and discovered that Sadia could use a little help," said Gray, who also had a crew help paint her house last year. "Sadia has turned out to be a very good friend."
This is the seventh summer Steve Mohror has used his vacation time for mission work. His wife is on her third summer. Asked what she gets out of it, Alice responded, "You mean besides the sweat? There's a lot of that." She laughed. "But there's also the chance to help someone who can't give back to you, and that feels good."
Brian Pals is in town for the week from Denver. He's an old hand at this. "I've spent at least one week on a mission trip every year since 1991," he said. He ended up in Minneapolis this year because his church "is a sister church to Andy's. We got a call from him. He was looking for money and people, and I said, 'I can do people.'"
In all, 40 people took part in various projects over the week as part of Gray's troop. The "grand finale," so to speak, takes place today when they all will gather at his church with volunteers from Kids Against Hunger for a "pack-a-thon" in which the goal is to pack 100,000 meals for children in Nicaragua and Haiti.
All in the family
Families also are welcome on many of the short-term missions. In fact, Twin Cities-based World Servants focuses on such endeavors.
"We get a lot of families who are looking for a way to reconnect," said operations manager Jennifer Kemper. "It's a common experience that the family can build on later. They get to go places and do things they wouldn't normally do together. It gives them something to talk about besides 'What did you do in school today?'"
The lesson of helping others is one that many youngsters take with them. Earlier this summer, Rachel Berns, 18, spent a week in the Twin Cities on a mission trip arranged by STEP. She's been doing such things since she was a little kid.
"My grandparents had a tradition of taking the whole family with them on a mission trip," she said from her home in Nebraska. "I really got to enjoy it. I know that summer is supposed to be a time to relax and goof off, but it's also important to serve God. It was a great experience going with my grandpa and grandma, and now I volunteer for a short-term mission every year."
Vacations with a purpose are becoming so popular that there's even a how-to book. "Hope Lives" (Group Publishing, $12.99) is based on humanitarian activist Amber van Schooneveld's experiences.
"There are a lot of misconceptions" about the missions, Van Schooneveld said. "To most people, it doesn't sound like a vacation. You're not sitting with your feet up; you're working. But you don't come back tired. You come back refreshed and recharged."
Jeff Strickler • 612-673-7392
© 2008 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.
Faith Tourism enticing option for travel in Turkey
Various factors lead tourists to choose Turkey as holiday destination
İstanbul’s historic Topkapı Palace is among the most popular sites in the city visited by tourists.
Turkey appeals to the differing interests and expectations of tourists from many countries, with its sunny beaches, shopping opportunities, historic sites and delicious Turkish cuisine, data provided from Ministry of Culture and Tourism have shown.
According Ministry of Culture and Tourism General Directorate of Promotion data, the 23.341 million tourists who came to Turkey last year -- mostly from Germany, Russia and the UK -- had different reasons for choosing the country as their holiday destination.
While 4.148 million German tourists chose to spend their vacation in Turkey for its warm seas, sunny beaches, cuisine and entertainment, the 2.46 million Russians came for the low tour prices, water parks and discos.
The relatively warmer climate, cultural heritage and scenic beauty of Turkey were the primary factors of attraction for the 1.916 million English tourists in Turkey last year. As for the French, Turkey’s culture, faith-based tourism and city tours make the country an enticing vacation option.
According to data compiled by the Anatolian news agency, Turkey ranks fourth on German tourists’ list of holiday destinations, although Germans are the Turkish tourism industry’s leading target audience. Germans attach great importance to sparing time for vacations and generally prefer holiday villages in Turkey, which offer swimming in warm waters, Mediterranean cuisine, entertainment, SPA -- a kind of water treatment -- and shopping. Germans’ favorite holiday spot in Turkey is the southern coastal province of Antalya, which has been dubbed by some a “summer house” for Germans.
However infrastructural and environmental problems, maltreatment of animals and terror incidents are factors that deter would-be German visitors.
Sending nearly 29 million tourists abroad every year, Russia sends more tourists to Turkey than anywhere else, in contrast to Germany. Escaping their country’s cold climate to Turkey’s sun, sand and sea, Russians pay attention to tour package pricing, service quality, water park facilities, disco and recreational activities. Russian tourists, who generally prefer two or three-star hotels because of the cheap pricing, flock to Antalya, Marmaris, Bodrum, Kuşadası and İstanbul in the summer months.
Although the UK is always seen among the first three countries sending the most tourists to Turkey, Turkey takes its place at the end of the English holiday preference list. Usually traveling to Turkey on package tours, English tourists, who like resting on the beach, playing golf and activities such as yacht tours and diving, are attracted by Turkey’s warm climate and reasonable prices along with its historical and natural beauties. Mostly going for a vacation between July and September and Christmas and Easter, English tourists travel to the western coastal provinces of Muğla, İstanbul and Antalya.
Turkey is also among the holiday vacation preferences of French tourists. French tourists are also influenced by the sea, culture, faith and rural tourism opportunities Turkey offers. Bodrum, the Aegean coastal province of İzmir, Antalya, İstanbul and Cappadocia are the French favorites.
Another country from which Turkey receives a considerable number of tourists is Holland. The Dutch enjoy traveling to countries with sunny beaches, low prices and hot-blooded people; however, they seem to have been deterred recently by political developments and tick-bite cases in Turkey.
The US is still also a significant tourism market for Turkey with regard to its tourist profile, although arrivals from the US to Turkey remain around 600,000-700,000 because of the distance between the two nations. American tourists enjoy shopping, city tours, historical and cultural heritage and beach tourism, generally choosing to stay in traditionally restored mansions and five-star hotels. Americans interested in cruises and cultural, city and faith tourism travel to İstanbul, Cappadocia, Kuşadası and the ancient city of Ephesus.
As for other countries’ preferences: Italians come to Bodrum, Antalya and İstanbul; Spanish tourists travel to Cappadocia and İstanbul along with the Aegean and Mediterranean regions; North European countries prefer Turkey’s pristine coasts, Mediterranean sun and thermal baths; Iranian tourists are attracted by sea and faith tourism and shopping opportunities in Turkey, visiting the Central Anatolian province of Konya, where Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, lived, and the northwestern province of Bursa.
İstanbul’s historic Topkapı Palace is among the most popular sites in the city visited by tourists.
Turkey appeals to the differing interests and expectations of tourists from many countries, with its sunny beaches, shopping opportunities, historic sites and delicious Turkish cuisine, data provided from Ministry of Culture and Tourism have shown.
According Ministry of Culture and Tourism General Directorate of Promotion data, the 23.341 million tourists who came to Turkey last year -- mostly from Germany, Russia and the UK -- had different reasons for choosing the country as their holiday destination.
While 4.148 million German tourists chose to spend their vacation in Turkey for its warm seas, sunny beaches, cuisine and entertainment, the 2.46 million Russians came for the low tour prices, water parks and discos.
The relatively warmer climate, cultural heritage and scenic beauty of Turkey were the primary factors of attraction for the 1.916 million English tourists in Turkey last year. As for the French, Turkey’s culture, faith-based tourism and city tours make the country an enticing vacation option.
According to data compiled by the Anatolian news agency, Turkey ranks fourth on German tourists’ list of holiday destinations, although Germans are the Turkish tourism industry’s leading target audience. Germans attach great importance to sparing time for vacations and generally prefer holiday villages in Turkey, which offer swimming in warm waters, Mediterranean cuisine, entertainment, SPA -- a kind of water treatment -- and shopping. Germans’ favorite holiday spot in Turkey is the southern coastal province of Antalya, which has been dubbed by some a “summer house” for Germans.
However infrastructural and environmental problems, maltreatment of animals and terror incidents are factors that deter would-be German visitors.
Sending nearly 29 million tourists abroad every year, Russia sends more tourists to Turkey than anywhere else, in contrast to Germany. Escaping their country’s cold climate to Turkey’s sun, sand and sea, Russians pay attention to tour package pricing, service quality, water park facilities, disco and recreational activities. Russian tourists, who generally prefer two or three-star hotels because of the cheap pricing, flock to Antalya, Marmaris, Bodrum, Kuşadası and İstanbul in the summer months.
Although the UK is always seen among the first three countries sending the most tourists to Turkey, Turkey takes its place at the end of the English holiday preference list. Usually traveling to Turkey on package tours, English tourists, who like resting on the beach, playing golf and activities such as yacht tours and diving, are attracted by Turkey’s warm climate and reasonable prices along with its historical and natural beauties. Mostly going for a vacation between July and September and Christmas and Easter, English tourists travel to the western coastal provinces of Muğla, İstanbul and Antalya.
Turkey is also among the holiday vacation preferences of French tourists. French tourists are also influenced by the sea, culture, faith and rural tourism opportunities Turkey offers. Bodrum, the Aegean coastal province of İzmir, Antalya, İstanbul and Cappadocia are the French favorites.
Another country from which Turkey receives a considerable number of tourists is Holland. The Dutch enjoy traveling to countries with sunny beaches, low prices and hot-blooded people; however, they seem to have been deterred recently by political developments and tick-bite cases in Turkey.
The US is still also a significant tourism market for Turkey with regard to its tourist profile, although arrivals from the US to Turkey remain around 600,000-700,000 because of the distance between the two nations. American tourists enjoy shopping, city tours, historical and cultural heritage and beach tourism, generally choosing to stay in traditionally restored mansions and five-star hotels. Americans interested in cruises and cultural, city and faith tourism travel to İstanbul, Cappadocia, Kuşadası and the ancient city of Ephesus.
As for other countries’ preferences: Italians come to Bodrum, Antalya and İstanbul; Spanish tourists travel to Cappadocia and İstanbul along with the Aegean and Mediterranean regions; North European countries prefer Turkey’s pristine coasts, Mediterranean sun and thermal baths; Iranian tourists are attracted by sea and faith tourism and shopping opportunities in Turkey, visiting the Central Anatolian province of Konya, where Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, lived, and the northwestern province of Bursa.
July 22, 2008
Cappadocia (Turkey) attracts Faith Tourism
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=148114&bolum=101
One of Turkey's natural wonders, Cappadocia has attracted more local tourists than foreigners this year. Cappadocia, a region of exceptional natural wonders characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage, has received more local tourists than foreigners this year, according to figures provided by the Nevşehir Governor's Office.
Situated in Nevşehir province, Cappadocia is one of Turkey's most popular tourist destinations and attracts over a million tourists each year, both from inside and outside the country.
Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Nevşehir Governor Mehmet Asım Hacımustafaoğlu stated that an equal number of foreign and local tourists used to come to Cappadocia until this year, with locals now outnumbering outside tourists. The governor added, "The reason for this is that Turks have recently become aware of Cappadocia."
Hacımustafaoğlu said more than 2 million tourists are expected to visit the area this year. "There has been increasing demand since January. Of Cappadocia's 23,000 beds, most have been booked. Student groups come to Cappadocia, especially in May and June. Since the region appeals to culture and faith tourism, Cappadocia receives a considerable number of tourists during winter months, as well."
Speaking about interest in the region from Far Eastern countries, Governor Hacımustafaoğlu said China had added Turkey to its list of countries it allows its citizens to visit after a former Chinese ambassador to Turkey paid a visit to Cappadocia.
Hacımustafaoğlu also drew attention to the contribution of the Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport to tourism in the region. "We now have an airport which is among the biggest airports in Turkey, allowing for international flights," the governor said. He also talked about accommodation facilities in the area and noted that companies have encountered difficulties in finding land on which to build lodging due to building bans stemming from the region being classified as protected.
One of Turkey's natural wonders, Cappadocia has attracted more local tourists than foreigners this year. Cappadocia, a region of exceptional natural wonders characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage, has received more local tourists than foreigners this year, according to figures provided by the Nevşehir Governor's Office.
Situated in Nevşehir province, Cappadocia is one of Turkey's most popular tourist destinations and attracts over a million tourists each year, both from inside and outside the country.
Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Nevşehir Governor Mehmet Asım Hacımustafaoğlu stated that an equal number of foreign and local tourists used to come to Cappadocia until this year, with locals now outnumbering outside tourists. The governor added, "The reason for this is that Turks have recently become aware of Cappadocia."
Hacımustafaoğlu said more than 2 million tourists are expected to visit the area this year. "There has been increasing demand since January. Of Cappadocia's 23,000 beds, most have been booked. Student groups come to Cappadocia, especially in May and June. Since the region appeals to culture and faith tourism, Cappadocia receives a considerable number of tourists during winter months, as well."
Speaking about interest in the region from Far Eastern countries, Governor Hacımustafaoğlu said China had added Turkey to its list of countries it allows its citizens to visit after a former Chinese ambassador to Turkey paid a visit to Cappadocia.
Hacımustafaoğlu also drew attention to the contribution of the Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport to tourism in the region. "We now have an airport which is among the biggest airports in Turkey, allowing for international flights," the governor said. He also talked about accommodation facilities in the area and noted that companies have encountered difficulties in finding land on which to build lodging due to building bans stemming from the region being classified as protected.
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