The "Sport Tourism Workshop" was organized in Rize
The "Sport Tourism Workshop" was organized in Rize, with the theme 'Branding City of Rize in Sports Tourism'.
The objective of the Sports Tourism Workshop in Rize is to reveal the current state of sports tourism, to draw up an inventory of sport tourism planned for the forthcoming period, to contribute to the classification of sports Tourism on a regional basis and to the creation of a sports tourist map.
With the support and initiatives of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Aşkın Bak, on the theme of 'Branding City of Rize in Sports Tourism', the Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Tourism, Rize Municipality, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University and the Alliance for Development of the East Black Sea Agency visited tourism and sports destinations in our district on the first day of the 'Sport Tourism Workshop' held on 23-24-25 November 2023. The second day of the Sports Tourism Workshop continued with the opening, panels and commission tables.
Osman Aşkın Bak, Minister of Youth and Sports, who participated in the opening programme of the Sports Tourism Workshop, said in his speech that sports tourism has experienced the fastest growth in recent years, "As we all know, Turkey is a fairly sport tourism country with four seasons simultaneously, from winter sports to summer sports, with a high-end infrastructure. Our ministry is also carrying out very serious work in the field of sports tourism. As stated in the 12th Development Plan, we are continuing to work hand in hand with all our stakeholders to the objectives of increasing Turkey's attractiveness as a sporting tourism destination, strengthening the image of the country's sports brand, and developing new marketing and promotion strategies. This work we have done in Rize is one of the strong steps we have taken towards achieving these goals. Rize is not just a city with its forests, magnificent mountains and the peaceful voice of the Black Sea, but a sports tourist destination waiting to be explored."
Noting that efforts to develop sports tourism are progressing with a commitment to sustainable practices, Minister Bak said: "Through responsible tourism initiatives, we aim to enable future generations to take advantage of Rize's glory in both sports and tourism. Rize has favourable conditions for participation in many sports, especially nature sports and extreme sports. Because of its geographical characteristics, our city has great sporting potential. The long duration of the permanent snow allows for winter sports, high levels of sea and dew, water sports, many ranges within their boundaries, and the inclusion of peaks allow for extreme sports. Again, our geographical proximity to neighbouring countries in the Black Sea region, to Turkish states, also adds importance and wealth to our city. With our continuously growing investment in transportation, accommodation and sports facilities, which evolves every year, there is no obstacle to Rize becoming an important destination, an important attraction and a brand city in sports tourism."
Minister Bak said Rize-Artvin Airport is a very important boutique airport, with the goal of reaching 1 million passengers this year.
"Our quite revolutionary success in sport investment and facilitation, our country's hosting of many prestigious international sports organizations, has shown the world that Turkey is a sporting country. We have hosted many global organizations, from the Islamic Solidarity Games to the World Nomad Games, the European Athletics Championships to the Champions League finals. Today, I can safely say that we have become a country that is not demanding international sports organizations, but is demanding them," he said.
"I would like to express our openness to the proposals and efforts of all our friends, all our stakeholders, civil society, the private sector, our media, and all our units as a ministry, to the development and transformation. I invite you all to participate actively, to exchange ideas and to contribute to the growth of sports tourism in our region. Let us embrace the spirit of unity as we work to unlock the full potential of sports tourism in Rize. Let this workshop be a step towards the future for sports enthusiasts looking for both adventure and cultural richness in Rize."
"Turkey will be the century of sport."Turkey's century will be the century of a growing, developing, strong Turkey. Under the leadership of our President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, son of this land, our country will take assured steps towards the future in every field, in sport, technology, the defence industry in the first place," he said.
At Sport Tourism, Brand City Rize continued the opening talk with a panel entitled “Successful Tourism Trends in Turkey”. Subsequently, he continued to evaluate the topics in the tables of the established committees. The sub-titles created in the Commission tables are: Development and Diversification of Sports Tourism Branches, Management of an Active Sport Tourism Destination, Promotion, Communication and Marketing, Increase of Physical Capacity in Sports Turism, Investment, Financing and Encouragement, Human Resource Management and Training in Sports Tourisme, Hosting of International Brand Sports Organizations.