User:Bastomer/Tourism in Turkey

Covid-19 Pandemic
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of tourists arriving in Turkey declined to around 16 million in 2020. This was the lowest number of tourists in the last decade. With revenue from international travel being reduced to $13.7 billion which made up 1.91% of the total economy in 2020. In 2021, Turkey’s tourism recovered from the pandemic as it contributed $59.3 billion to the GDP, which made up 7.3% of the total economy.

Ankara
Ankara, the capital of Turkey, is the second most populated city in Turkey. It is rich with Turkish history and culture that have roots in the founding of Turkey along with history from ancient civilizations. The most popular landmark is the Anıtkabir as it has both visitor from all around the country and world especially during national holidays. The Anıtkabir is a mausoleum for Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. Another landmark would be the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, a museum that possesses works from Paleolithic, Neolithic, Hatti, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, and Roman civilizations.

Izmir
Izmir is a city with historical and geopolitical importance in ancient civilizations such as Macedonia, Persia, Lydia, and the Ottomans. The city has memorable history in the early years of Turkey as it was the main city that was affected by the Greco-Turkish War (1919–1922). Izmir is home the of many ancient cities such as, Ephesus, Pergamon, and Klazomenai. Besides historical significance, Izmir also possess many locations for coastal tourism for international travelers. Common regions that have touristic beaches for local and international tourists would be Çeşme, Mordoğan and Foça.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites
As of 2021, Turkey accommodates 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 17 cultural and 2 mixed. The last addition is Arslantepe being added in 2021.

Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe is historical site that dates back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic age. The site possesses megalithic structures that were composed of massive stone pillars that were detailed with anthropological details, clothing, and wild animals. The structures give insights on the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers that date back to 11,500 years ago. It is theorized that the site was created with religious intent as a sanctuary whilst more recent findings show the existence of domestic buildings that were used for rain collection and harvesting.

Troy
Troy is an archeological world heritage site that was added to the list in 1998. The site dates back 4000 years. Troy showcases the cultural development of ancient Greece as it is recurring city in ancient Greek literature. In the area, many historical and archeological sites can found such as burial mounds, cemeteries, settlements and monuments that are linked to the ancient Greek, Romans and Ottomans.

Medical Tourism
An emerging branch of tourism in Turkey in recent years is medical tourism. Commonly preformed medical procedures are hair transplant operations and rhinoplasty, as it draws in thousands of foreigner tourists every year. In 2021, the revenue generated from medical tourism was given as $1.05 billion with 642,000 people that visited for the purpose of getting medical service. This is due to Turkey offering high-quality clinics for affordable pricing compared to the rest of Europe and its central location between Asia and Europe. Other reasons for the high demand for healthcare in Turkey are foreigners having easy visa procedures and immediate scheduling for operations.