Sakarya will attract tourists with ‘green tourism’: mayor

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Burak Coşan – SAKARYA

Sakarya, a province neighboring Istanbul, will become “Turkey’s new green city” following investments under “green tourism” to promote the region’s natural heritage, the province’s mayor has said.

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“We are investing in many areas of the city that can be new tourist destinations in the country,” Ekrem Yüce said on April 26.

The very first objective is “to improve holiday and accommodation options in Sapanca”, a district famous for its magnificent natural environment and its lake of the same name.

“Sapanca is the apple of our eye. You can live four seasons in Sapanca,” he said proudly.

The municipality has already started an investment worth 10 million Turkish liras ($680,000) to introduce the Acarlar floodplain forest to the world to become a new tourist hub.

“Maden Deresi [The Stream of Mine] is another alternative natural beauty that could be the next tourism hotspot,” the mayor added.

Another project of the municipality is to convert 60 decares of land on Mount Çam (pine) into hiking routes.

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When asked why local officials decided to add Sakarya to “green tourism”, the mayor pointed to the effect of the coronavirus pandemic.

Amid the pandemic, people have discovered the importance of nature, according to the mayor. “That’s why the municipality wants to take advantage of this trend.”

Sakarya is one of the first cities in the country to be labeled “bike-friendly”. However, the mayor wants to set the bar high.

Many competitions are held in the city and international cyclists are also welcomed to the city’s “Cycling Valley”, but it is “not enough”, he said.

“We have a three-stage cycle path project,” he said. “The first 95 kilometer stage is already over. With the construction of the other two, we will have a total route of 120 kilometers.

However, the ultimate goal is to have 500 kilometers of cycle paths in the province.

“We will wrap Sakarya with cycle paths on all sides,” he said.
Greenhouse cultivation is another city project to attract “green tourists”. After making an investment worth 40 million Turkish liras ($2.7 million), the municipality established greenhouses on a 53,000 square meter plot in Akyazı district.

In a first effort, some 60,000 tomato plants were planted. “We will grow about 50 tons of tomatoes on a patch of land,” he said while recounting his intention to attract farming enthusiasts.

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