Silk road” International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage Tourism Management Faculty Graduation Project Topic

1.2 General overview of tourism in Turkey
Today the tourism industry is one of the most dynamically developing areas world economies, and one of the main types of tourism should be recognized as cultural tourism. Among the leaders in the field tourism, which can serve as an example of the successful development of tourism infrastructure, Turkey occupies a significant place. There are several reasons for Turkey's popularity as a destination for cultural tourism. Firstly, this is the vast historical heritage of Turkey, the successor of the peoples and civilizations of Asia Minor. Archaeological research found evidence of the oldest human culture, relating to the VIII-VI millennium BC. e. Then, replacing each other, this land was inhabited by different peoples: Hittites, Mitanni, Phrygians, Cimmerians, Hellenes, Persians, Seljuk Turks, Ottoman Turks. Each of these civilizations left their own trace in the history and culture of Turkey. Territory of modern Turkey can be called an open-air museum of antiquities sky. Ancient temples, churches and mosques coexist here, bridges, aqueducts and caravanserais, mausoleums, necropolises, palaces and tombs, as well as two wonders of the world from seven (Mausoleum of Halicarnassus and Temple of Artemis of Ephesus) and ruins of ancient cities (Troy, Ephesus, Constantinople). Secondly, the policy of the Turkish authorities in areas of tourism development is considered. The tourism industry began to attract the attention of the Turkish authorities in the second half of the 20th century, when it was decided to select priority areas to attract investment in tourism. Early 1970s years, such an area was the coast from the province of Balikesir to the province of Antalya (this includes such popular holiday destinations today as Izmir, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Cesme).
A wide range of activities is being carried out to address these challenges. At the legislative level, the broad capabilities of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey are enshrined, as well as various privileges for this industry. International treaties and agreements are being concluded. In 1992 Turkey and Russia signed a partnership agreement in the field of tourism; joint events are annually organized with the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. In 2013 Prime Minister of Turkey Rejap Tayyip Erdogan and President Russian V.V. Putin discussed the possibility of cross-years of tourism in Russia and Turkey. Great attention is paid to the development of infrastructure: the hotel fund is expanding, new railways, seaports; airports are being built, linking into a single network the most important points for tourism in the country. To attract tourists, such unusual transport means like a sea taxi in Istanbul.