Marmaris will host its Seafood Festival again from 2 to 4 October, after the event drew strong interest from visitors when it was held for the first time last year. This year, the festival will take place in Selimiye and bring together the area’s seafood dishes and wider culinary traditions.
The event is designed to strengthen the region’s food identity and support its tourism potential. Organisers also want to protect and promote local culinary heritage while building Marmaris’s brand in gastronomy.
Marmaris Municipality first launched the festival last year in Selimiye, Bozburun, Söğüt and Taşlıca. The new edition will focus on Selimiye as a central venue.
Speaking about the festival, Acar Ünlü, Mayor of Marmaris, said: “Marmaris is a very special city not only for its sea and natural beauty, but also for its sea-based way of life and its unique cuisine. With the Seafood Festival we organised for the first time last year, we had the opportunity to introduce our region’s gastronomic richness to a wider audience.”
The festival is part of a wider effort to promote Marmaris as more than a beach destination. Local officials hope the event will help visitors experience the coastal district’s food culture alongside its scenery and seaside character.
Last year’s festival spread across several settlements on the coast and highlighted the area’s seafood, daily life and regional recipes. Organisers say the 2026 edition will continue that work while placing more emphasis on Selimiye as a showcase for local food and hospitality.
By focusing on seafood and regional dishes, the festival aims to draw food-focused travellers as well as holidaymakers already visiting the resort area. That approach reflects a broader push by destinations in Türkiye to use gastronomy events to lengthen the tourist season and attract higher-spending visitors.
The event also gives local businesses a platform to present ingredients, cooking traditions and products linked to the surrounding coastline. For Marmaris, the festival is another step in turning culinary heritage into a tourism asset.
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