Over the last two decades Turkey has made considerable investments on infra and super structure. This also includes transport infrastructure such as improvement, modernisation of airports and air terminals as well as construction of new ones. In addition to the international airports in the main cities and resort destinations, Turkey has domestic flights to all major cities and tourist centres. The highways crisscrossing the entire country; regular comfortable bus services and coach tours make travelling in Turkey easy and enjoyable. The transport infrastructure and the efficiency of services as well as advanced communication network system meet all the requirements of contemporary tourism.

The accommodation industry at present, includes a range of facilities from the top quality, super modern deluxe category hotels and holiday complexes, boutique hotels to the affordable ones. Although city hotels, summer resort hotels and holiday complexes constitute the greater part of the accommodation industry, there are numerous ski, winter resort and spa hotels in various parts of the country. Most high standard hotels and holiday complexes have a variety of recreation, entertainment facilities. There are also a number of golf courses of international standard in various parts of the country.

Turkey is a yachting paradise. Istanbul, and all main resort centres on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have marinas and the necessary facilities required. There is a major plan to increase the capacity to meet the growing demand as there is still a tremendous development potential for yacht tourism.

Turkey has been recognised as a country of international reputation for hosting the most important meetings and conventions of the world. In addition to the top quality convention centres of huge capacity, equipped with advanced technology; most high grade hotels also have facilities for events such as meetings and conventions.

Lures of the major cities and resort centres; world famous Turkish cuisine as well as international ones, restaurants, bars, entertainment life, cultural activities can appeal to tourists from all over the world.

To sum up, Turkey at present with its enormous tourism potential and a great diversity of its natural resources, historical treasures, cultural values and activities, life style, attractions and with its efficient, dynamic tourist industry offers wide selection of products that can satisfy the demand of different market segments including the most sophisticated and demanding traveller.

Tourists are flocking to Turkey in increasing numbers. Records continue. The year 2012 has also seen a new record taking the annual tourist arrivals to over 31 million in spite of the situation in the world travel and tourism market. However Turkey’s share in culture, nature based, special interest tourism, yachting; cruising, meetings and incentive tourism market segments do not match its enormous potential of great diversity and what it really offers. It falls well short of what it should have been. There is in fact a huge development potential for Turkey to increase its share in various market segments, and to further diversify its tourism.

There is a consensus of opinion supported by research findings, that the Turkish tourism will continue to grow at a higher rate than the European and the world average and the future prospects in the long term seem also to be very bright.

In the early 1980s the Turkish economy was liberalized and major reforms were put into implementation to this end. Restrictions on travelling abroad, such as currency limitation have been abolished. Business travel, both in the country and abroad has shown a rapid growth. The diversity of new products offered by the Turkish travel agencies stimulated the tourist demand, and the number of Turkish tourists going abroad has eventually increased. The number of the Turkish citizens increased from one million 795 thousand in 1980,to 2 million 917 thousand in 1990 and reached a record in the year 2000 taking the total to 5 million 284 thousand. Because of the economic situation this number decreased by 8 percent in 2001 making a total of 4 million 856 thousand.

In 2015, tourism expenditures were realized as 5 billion 698 million dollars

Popular destinations for Turkish citizens taking holidays abroad are well known cities of Europe and USA. Growing number of Turkish people take interest also in the Asia Pasific and other far away destinations. Turkish people are open to new ideas and flexible in decision making. Fashionable products are also tempting for them. They are particularly interested in city culture and sightseeing as well as shopping. There is also a large number of citizens travelling every year for pilgrimage visits.

Turkey’s outbound tourism and travel market is very likely to grow at a higher rate in the long term.

Bridging the two continents Turkey, is a gateway to East and West. It is centrally located between Asia and Europe; the Black Sea on the north and the Mediterranean on the south. Turkey is a vast country; its land mass is 814.578 sq km.

The Black Sea mountain ranges on the north and the Taurus Mountains on the south, running parallel to the coast line, separates the coastal areas from the high Anatolian plateau. The average altitude above sea level of Anatolia is 1000m, rising gradually towards east where the average altitude is around 2000m, with peaks over 4000m and numerous extinct volcanoes. Anatolia is broken up by 15 rivers. There are numerous lakes including Salt Lake in the Central Anatolia; Lake Van in the eastern Turkey with an altitude of 1720m and surface of 3750 sqkm and relatively smaller ones throughout the country.

Turkey has different climatic regions ranging from temperate rainy climate of the Black Sea Region, to the continental in the Central Anatolia and subtropical Mediterranean on the south. From west to east there are also considerable differences and contrasting climatic regions, with hot summers and mild winters in the Marmara and the Aegean region to the Eastern Anatolia with extremes of temperature where the winters are long with heavy snow fall.

The flora and fauna of Turkey are correspondingly diverse. The flora varies from lush forests, steps to typical Aegean and Mediterranean vegetation. With nearly ten thousand species, Turkey is a botanical paradise. Turkey is on the migration routes of birds and there are a number of areas which are the natural habitat for many different species, including rare ones.

Turkey has a historical heritage of successive civilizations from Hittites, Phrygians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Romans, Byzantines to the Seljuks and Ottomans. There history of human kind has continuously added on itself, from the earliest settlements, to the contemporary Turkey today.

Historical assets of past civilizations can be seen anywhere in Turkey from the big cities to smaller towns and rural settlements; from the mountain tops, sacred valleys to the sea bed. The settlement pattern in Turkey today, is more or less the same as it had been through the ages of history. Most cities, house the remains of successive civilizations side by side or one on the top of the other; where cultural values intermingled through centuries. Istanbul, the city of beauty unmatched, proudly preserves the historical legacy of the three empires, and cultural treasures of inestimable value. This unique city of universal repute is the only one in the world situated on two continents. It is truly a city of wonders.

The traveler runs from one surprise to another in Turkey where traditional and modern go hand in hand. A multicentre tour for example, from Istanbul to Ankara the capital city of the modern Turkey today, then to smaller towns with traditional architectural style, picturesque villages set against spectacular landscape of matchless beauty to the modern premier resorts will, without any doubt, be quite an impressive experience, full of surprises and astonishing contrasts for any traveler in the world.

These natural, historical, cultural assets and values altogether constitute an enormous potential and creates the infinite diversity of tourist resources of Turkey, which can be outlined as follows;

• Four seas with 8333 km of varied coastline and range of beaches, bays suited to all types of marine activity yachting and cruising.
• Mountainous areas, occupying more than half of Turkey’s landmass, high plateaus suited to a range of activityholidays, trekking, mountaineering, skiing and winter sports; rivers running through dramatic valleys tempting activity holidays, canoeing, rafting enthusiasts.
• Approximately 1300 geothermal resources with temperature varying between 20-110 C., suitable for many different sorts of cures and treatment of numerous health problems.
• Historical heritage of many successive civilizations, thousands of archeological sites dating back to the earliest settlements as long as 12000 years, a vast open airmuseum, a must do place for anyone who is interested in history and archeology.
• Legacy of cultural values, art treasure of master pieces and socio- cultural values inherited through centuries; diversity in unity, harmony of traditional and contemporary.
• Historic cities, where traditional and contemporary; ancient and super modern go hand in hand; pitoresquestowns, villages and rural settlements.
• Natural wonders such as extraordinary cascades and terraced pools of Pamukkale "Cotton Castle"; fairy chimnies in the land of Cappadocia, with rock-cut dwellings, churches, underground cities, combined withlocal architecture, forming a fascinating mixture of natural- cultural landscape.
• And of course the way of life and socio cultural values, folklore, world famous cuisine, the traditional Turkish hospitality.
• Contrasting geography, different climatic regions,

correspondingly diverse flora and fauna, a varied magnificent landscape, encompassing the vast variety of her geography, aparadise for nature based, special interest tours.