Published on : Wednesday, May 23, 2018
The growth in tourism corresponds with the start of the Year of Troy 2018, which observes the 20th anniversary of the archaeological site’s listing on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. A calendar of cultural and sporting efforts, as part of the Year of Troy, will be organized all through the year, comprising the International Trojan Food Festival-Çanakkale in June and the Trojan Horse Short Film Festival in October.
In support of The Year of Troy, Turkish Airlines introduced a “Troia”-themed aircraft. The A321-type aircraft is especially designed with a livery of the Trojan Horse, made famous in Homer’s account of the Trojan War in the epic, Iliad.
Other cultural and tourism highlights from Turkey include:
HERITAGE
After an eight-year restoration project, the 1,600-year-old Theodosius Cistern formally opened to the public last month. It is believed that Cistern to belong to the reign of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II and formed part of a 250 kms-long system which carried fresh water to the ancient city. Based in the Çemberlitaş neighborhood of Istanbul, the fifth century structure will occasionally host art exhibitions and other cultural events.
The Ministry of Finance declared incentives to perk up Turkey’s medical tourism with an aim to welcome 1.5 million health tourism visitors to the country by 2023. Incentives comprise new investment subsidies and value-added tax (VAT) exclusion for non-resident foreigners using medical institutes accredited by the Ministry of Health.
Tags: Turkey Tourism