Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy: ‘Turkish tourism will grow with gastronomy’
The Gastroshow, organized by Turkuvaz Media Group and the Gastronomy Tourism Association, began with the participation of Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism.
In his opening speech, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that the country’s tourism revenue increased by 12% in 2023 compared to the previous year, reaching approximately 56 billion dollars, and that Turkey is among the top five in world tourism.
Highlighting the increasingly strong connection between gastronomy and tourism in recent years, Ersoy said, ‘Representatives of the gastronomy world are among the real conveyors of the tourism market, contributing significantly to its development.’
Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy: ‘Istanbul, Izmir, and Bodrum are emerging as gastrocities’
The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, emphasized the importance of our country’s rich gastronomic culture being recognized by international organizations, noting that projects in this area that were supposed to be completed in six years were accomplished in two and included in the Michelin Guide. Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy continued: ‘With the international certification of our culinary wealth and creative guidance, the claims we have made in gastronomic tourism have moved to a further dimension. With the work and promotional activities we have conducted, destinations like Istanbul, Izmir, and Bodrum are emerging as gastrocities.’
Ceyda Uzman, General Manager of Print Media Advertising and Executive Board Member at Turkuvaz Media Group, mentioned that our country has a rich culinary culture, saying, ‘Today, we are together to spread the development and innovative ideas of the gastronomy sector in Turkey. This rich culinary culture holds a very special place not only in terms of food but also in terms of cultural richness. Today, we will discuss the contributions of this rich culture to the world. Gastronomy is also of great importance for the efficient use of natural resources and the development of tourism.’
Gürkan Boztepe, President of the Gastronomy Tourism Association, referring to the food and flavor culture of Anatolia, said, ‘Every guest who comes here is very valuable to us. I believe that today’s organization, supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Turkuvaz Media, is very precious. Our guests who come here from various parts of the world make significant contributions to our country’s gastronomic tourism. The main point to note here is that most of our guests are connected to Anatolia. This place is not just a place for fine dining chefs but also a position where we spread our culture globally.’
