TOURISM ANALYSIS OF CILICIA CORRIDOR

Abstract

Anatolia, as being in the cross-roads of different cultures, still has many assets waiting to be explored. One of these regions is called Cukurova (Cilicia-Kilikya as it was called in the past), starting from Anamur to the Amanos mountains. Consisting of different routes, the area dates back 5 BC. The region hosted different civilizations and found its place in the Greek mythology. On top of offering the classical sea, sun and send tourism, Cilicia is an important part of cultural and pilgrimage tourism. Furthermore, the region could offer diversification such as gastronomy, health and rural tourism to the visitors. Compared to 1.4 million tourists visited the area in 2011, the number increased to 2.1 million with an increase of 45%. Investing these figures revealed that, despite being relatively lower, international visitor numbers also increased 54.9% in the same period. Within the region, highest tourist intake belongs to Mersin with 68.6%. This could be associated with the city’s seaside location. In total, 75% of the guests stayed in local council rated establishments, which is also higher in Mersin. The reason with the increase in guest visitation could be associated with increase in the number of different accommodation types, increase in popularity and the improvement of the infrastructure of the region. However, it could be claimed that Cilicia is far from using its full potential. Despite its obvious potential, this study aimed to present the reasons behind why the resources have not been fully used for the region, along with the suggestions for the area.