Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, conveyed his condolences to the people of Samsun for the recent flood disaster caused by heavy rains during the Tourism Stakeholders’ Evaluation Meeting held at a hotel in Samsun.
Emphasizing Samsun’s rapid strides in becoming a prominent city for its industrial, sports, cultural, artistic, and touristic attributes, Minister Ersoy said, “Becoming a tourist city primarily requires potential, and Samsun possesses more than what’s visible. However, this potential needs polishing, promoting, and presenting to consumers and tourists systematically.”
Ersoy disclosed that discussions concluded with the need to prepare a master plan. “Together with our Governor, our municipality, our deputies, we will prepare this master plan. Our Ministry will fully support its development, and subsequently, the respective institutions will swiftly execute their roles. The Black Sea is already a significant tourism destination, especially attracting many visitors from Gulf countries. Our aim is to distribute these concentrated visits to other Black Sea cities such as Samsun and Rize.”
Highlighting Samsun’s archaeological sites, cultural and registered structures, Ersoy noted the city’s beaches and a tourism season lasting 90 to 100 days. “Samsun has incredible potential. When we think of the Black Sea, we imagine mountains, but Samsun also offers expansive areas. We aim to introduce these and other lesser-known treasures, including gastronomy. When I came here, I knew a few registered products, but seeing the diverse flavors, I realized that due to migrations from various parts of the world, world cuisines are present here.”
Ersoy shared an ambitious target for 2028: “Our goal is to achieve a revenue of 100 billion dollars from tourism. To reach this, relying on current popular tourism destinations isn’t feasible. We aim for every one of our 81 provinces to benefit from tourism.”
The meeting was attended by Samsun Governor Orhan Tavlı, AK Party Samsun deputies Mehmet Muş, Orhan Kırcalı, Ersan Usta, MHP Samsun Deputy İlyas Topsakal, Samsun Metropolitan Mayor Mustafa Demir, Samsun Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Salih Zeki Murzioğlu, and representatives of the tourism sector.
