One of the major events of bicycle tourism, CycleSummit was held online under the co-sponsorship of Turkey this year. Even though it was a virtual event, CycleSummit attracted considerable interest. Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) participated in the CycleSummit for the first time as one of the main sponsors of the summit, addressing tens of tour operators in a video conference. More than 50 tour operators attended the event, and TGA met individually with tour operators specialized in cycling from Germany, Switzerland and Italy.

While TGA made the inaugural presentation, videos of the cycling routes prepared specifically for the event was widely appreciated. Running through wonders of nature, cycling routes of Turkey were introduced in the event. Attendees were informed about Bike-friendly Accommodation Certificate and Safe Tourism Certificate, which have been key tourism practices of Turkey in recent years.

In the session about the Bike-friendly Accommodation Certificate, attendees were informed about practices that will make their lives easier, such as announcing bike-friendly activities on the website, employing staff informed about the bike routes in the area, cyclist menus, bike parking and bike repair. The "Bike-friendly Accommodation Certificate" awarded to the hotels fulfilling these requirements stands out as a certificate that encourages cycling for its health benefits and nature-friendliness. Certificate criteria are available on https://tga.gov.tr/faaliyet/bike-friendly/.

Another key subject introduced by TGA at the event was the "Safe Tourism Certificate". Potential visitors of Turkey were informed about a series of recommended measures ranging from transport to accommodation, hotel employees to tourist health. The "Safe Tourism Certification Program" developed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which is known as one of the first examples of its kind, is made up of 132 articles, and allows all tourists to enjoy their vacation in with confidence and comfort in Turkey. Details of the “Safe Tourism Certificate” are available at https://www.tga.gov.tr/about-safe-tourism-program/.

While the event lasted for a day, presentations were made for all participants on the main stage, and individual meetings were made with the participants. Moreover, social activities such as a round table meeting, a coffee corner event and a webinar were held to foster interaction among the participants.

About Turkey
Located in the Mediterranean and connecting Asia and Europe continents that are separated by the famous Bosphorus, Turkey is a unique destination that welcomed more than 50 million tourists last year. The country that has always been a hub for cultural interaction and home to varying climates inspires the visitors today with its history, nature, and gastronomy that reflect the diversity of civilizations for centuries. Located at the crossroads of cultures, Turkey has a distinctive understanding of art & fashion which is the synthesis of tradition and modernity and its extremely dynamic shopping & entertainment life also attracts visitors from all over the world. Turkey implemented “Safe Tourism Program” for the 2020 tourism season. The program that has been rapidly adopted by the key players in the industry, defines a series of measures that must be taken across a vast range of related bodies including food & beverage, transportation and accommodation establishments to ensure the health and well-being of facility personnel and guests, both local and foreign.
For more about Turkey please visit: www.goturkey.com