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Supporting the local development for 11 years, Future is in Tourism supports Çanakkale in the Troy Year of 2018. The project Troy Culture Route protects cultural identity and heritage while strengthening the links between visitors and local people. The project will feature the construction of walking and biking trails from Çanakkale to the villages of Ezine and Ayvacık districts. Local production on the same route will be sustained, and visitors will be offered leisure and accommodation services.
The Troy Culture Route is one of the projects supported by Future is in Tourism implemented jointly by the T.R. Ministry of Culture and Tourism, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Anadolu Efes. Covering a route that will traverse 21 villages from Çanakkale to the antique port of Assos, the project intends to re-arrange roads and paths, install signage and deliver training programmes.
Under the project, cultural heritage on and along the walking trail will be protected. Walking and biking trails of 90 km will be built in this geography of vast cultural and natural riches including antique settlements, antique quarries, bridges, hot springs, beaches, saltpans and agricultural areas; and support will be given to efforts to increase the number of incoming visitors. The project will also include signage works on the routes, improve safety measures, rearrange landscaping and roads/paths, and draw up a detailed map of walking trail. Information meetings will be held for local and central officials and tourism enterprises; training will be delivered on sustainable tourism and legislation. For local people, training programmes will be delivered on protecting historical and natural assets, sustainable tourism and development.
Works aim to increase the length of stays of local and foreign visitors, and spread the tourism season around the year. Being implemented in Çanakkale, the project will also contribute to events to be organised in the context of Troy Year of 2018.
The project has started through “Future is in Tourism” which provides funding, training, planning, communications, consultancy and technical assistance to three tourism ideas on the basis of sustainability every year, and is being implemented with the cooperation of Governorship of Çanakkale and the History and Culture Foundation of Çanakkale.