Rethinking Tourism in Izmir:
A New Way to Share Cultural and Natural Heritage

February 1, 2022

By

Katherine Peinhardt
Communications Officer, ICLEI Europe

Demet Burçin Gezgin
RURITAGE project partner, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality
Zeynep Durmus Arsan
PhD, Izmir Institute of Technology

Building on a long-lived spirit of welcoming, locals in Izmir are finding new ways to expand hospitality in the region.

IMAGE: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

In Izmir, Turkey, this means an entirely new type of welcoming. There, locals are leading a new era of tourism with innovative new approaches to attracting visitors, taking on bottom-up concepts like the “diffused hotel.” This alternative approach means that locals may soon be opening up their homes to host travelers. Izmir is a member city of ICLEI, a global network of more than 2500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development, and is part of the RURITAGE project, which aims to harness cultural and natural heritage for rural regeneration. As part of this, family homes in Izmir are now being considered as new accommodations for visitors. This would mean training opportunities and new sources of income for residents, and would provide further chances for visitors to see the surrounding scenery of the mountainous Kozak Plateau.

The sharing of local food traditions could be a part of a wider movement to give visitors a taste of the cultural and natural

heritage in Izmir.

IMAGE: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

This work covers three districts in Izmir: Dikili, Kınık and Bergama, where particular challenges like depopulation and aging have left locals with the high risk of losing cultural and natural heritage assets. Meanwhile, local food and traditional crafts have not received the attention they deserve -- something that could be addressed through a new wave of visitors, eager to take in the natural beauty of the area. Beyond being a part of Izmir’s Madra Park being designated a UNESCO Geopark, the natural and geological heritage of the area are closely tied to the livelihoods of locals. Experiencing the daily life of local residents, in other words, is a way to get up close to the history of the region.

Izmirian cuisine draws upon a great diversity of locally-sourced ingredients including Aegean grown fruits and vegetables.

IMAGE: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

The idea of a “diffused hotel,” is not new: In fact, it was pioneered in the 1980s in Friuli, Italy as a way to recover capacity to host tourists after an earthquake. But since then, the idea has spread and evolved, especially in Europe and Asia. Now, RURITAGE partners in Izmir have taken the idea to heart, surveying local residents and analyzing potential sites to get the idea off the ground in Izmir. They are working with the Tourism Department of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality as they craft a “local diffused hotel guideline.” Upcoming plans also include training opportunities for residents interested in welcoming visitors into their homes. All of these efforts fit into the wider goals of enhancing the capacity of the region to become a tourist destination.

A view of the lush and mountainous Kozak Plateau, the site of new approaches to hospitality that put locals in charge.

IMAGE: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality

The idea is growing in popularity. According to RURITAGE partner Dr. Zeynep Durmus Arsan, of the Izmir Institute of Technology; “The local people are interested in Izmir becoming an attractive and alternative tourism destination. Besides their ongoing seasonal agricultural activities, they would like to share their daily routine, cuisine and festivals while hosting the visitors in their homes. The reuse of abandoned houses will be a worthwhile contribution for the remote villages of the region.”

A snowy day in Izmir shows that it is a beautiful destination, year-round.

IMAGE: Izmir Metropolitan Municipality