Visitors coming to Troy, despite travel fears: Official

ÇANAKKALE

AA photo

The ancient city of Troy, located in Tevfikiye village in the northwestern province of Çanakkale and placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998, is one of the most popular sites for tourists visiting the region. The ancient city received 480,418 local and foreign tourists last year.The Provincial Culture and Tourism Ditector Kemal Dokuz said due to its geographical location, Troy had a very significant role in terms of commercial and cultural relations between the ancient civilizations that ruled the region in the past.Dokuz said the recent negative events in the country had not affected the number of visitors, and continued:“The ancient city of Troy is one of the most popular sites in Çanakkale. The number of visitors was 463,563 in 2014 and reached 480,418 last year. Nearly half million tourists visited the ancient city. In 2018, we will celebrate the 20th year of Troy’s entering to the UNESCO list. The Culture and Tourism Minister is making preparations for the celebration. Troy ranks eighth among the most visited ancient sites in Turkey and ninth among the most profitable sites.”Speaking about Çanakkale’s important tourism potential, Dokuz said, “The [region’s] most striking destination is…the land where the Battle of Dardanelles occurred. On the other hand, Troy is our most important brand in international field. The ministry made environmental arrangements in the city, while other works are continuing, too.”Through the end of last year, a development revision plan for the Troy National Park was approved. According to the plan, the Forestry and Water Ministry have boosted investments to turn the national park into an attraction point and offer the natural richness of the site to the public.The renewal plan included protection work and dividing the park for different uses. Also with the new arrangement, Çanakkale’s agricultural areas and production will be shifted to organic farming.With a new museum currently under construction, Turkey will welcome back some of the Troy’s artifacts, which are now scattered around Europe.