Students from the Doğa Koleji Alanya Sea Scout Group visited the Alanya Tourist Operators Association (ALTİD) together with Ufuk Uğur, a Scout Leader and member of the Turkey Scout Federation (TİF). During their visit, the scouts examined the maps of the Alanya Nature Sports Project, which ALTİD implemented with a grant received from the West Mediterranean Development Agency (BAKA). The students were presented with trekking bags containing a regional promotional booklet, a trekking map, and a compass.
“NATURE AWARENESS WILL BE INSTILLED IN CHILDREN”
Scout Leader Uğur, stating that the Alanya Nature Sports Project will benefit the personal development of students, said, “There are dozens of tracks in the project. By exploring these tracks with our scouts, we want to instill a sense of nature awareness in our children.”
THE DUTCH HAVE ALSO TAKEN THEIR MAPS
The Dutch couple Jan Van Lieshout and Tiny Lieshout, who have been living in Alanya for 10 years after buying a house in Mahmutlar Neighborhood, also visited ALTİD and received a nature sports map. Stating that ALTİD has been making significant contributions to Alanya tourism for years, the Lieshout couple said, “Wandering at the foothills of the Taurus Mountains with the nature sports map will be a special pleasure for us. There are many historical structures and natural beauties worth seeing in the mountainous parts of Alanya.”
“TRACKS ARE COMPLETED IN AT LEAST 30 DAYS”
ALTİD President and Turkish Hotel Association (TÜROFED) Board Member Burhan Sili stated that they are making significant contributions to alternative tourism through the Alanya Nature Sports Project. Sili said, “We have determined a total of 31 tracks consisting of hiking, cycling, and jeep routes. By creating demand on these tracks, where the shortest distance is 4.5 kilometers and the longest distance reaches 30 kilometers, we want to promote the historical and natural beauties of our Alanya to the world, beyond the trilogy of sea, sand, and sun. It takes at least 30 days to walk all of the tracks. Travelers have a great interest in these natural tracks.”
PROJECT SUMMARY:
The participants of the project launched under the sponsorship of ALTİD are Alanya Municipality, Alanya Nature Sports Club (ALDOSK), and Alanya Promotion Foundation (ALTAV). Within the scope of the project, with a map drawn by determining Alanya's walking, cycling, and off-road tracks, trekking, cycling, and off-road routes have been established on existing interconnected roads in an area totaling 2,240 km2, with a width of 56 km and a depth of 40 km, encompassing the ancient cities of Syedra and Laertes in the east, Akdağ Ski Center in the northeast, Oba – Alacami, Kızılalan, Aksaray, Basırlı, Mahmutseydi, Türktaş, Süleymanlar, Gümüşgöze, Burçaklar, Karamanlar, Gedevet, Alara Han in the west, Hamaxia, the Küçük Ayasofya historical area in the north, and the Alanya center and Karayolları Locality in the south. Starting from the Alanya center, route map information boards, kilometer-marked project directional signs, marker poles at high and steep points, two (2) passage bridges in the Kızılalan Locality where mountain bike organizations are also held, one tower at the Cebelireis paragliding take-off point, and another tower at the Yasır Ali Locality above the Hıdırelles Church for the purpose of Alanya panoramic view observation/watching/meeting have been installed. A total of 31 routes have been determined, including 19 walking/trekking, cycling, and off-road/vehicle track routes, 12 of which are walking/trekking-only track routes.
20 THOUSAND TREKKING MAPS PRINTED
A total of 20,000 trekking and cycling route promotional booklets have been printed in Turkish, English, German, and Russian, including 20,000 route maps. The printed maps and booklets will contribute to the diversification of Alanya's products through their distribution at tourism fairs and via other contacts. Additionally, brochures and maps will be distributed in Alanya hotels and through agencies and tour operators. With the kilometer-based directional signs completed as part of the project, it is ensured that a person can easily explore the region without getting lost. An orienteering map has also been prepared for a location whose interest has been steadily increasing in recent years.