Voices Columnist Glenn Maffia
HAVING an excellent background in tourism and having always proposed innovative ideas when he was President of TURSAB, Deniz Atabay is now acting upon those finely tuned instincts.
We are slowly beginning to realise what can be achieved if tourism is managed and directed within the remit of the law and for the benefit of all; trader and customer alike.
No magic act is going to bring this vision into fruition overnight, and no doubt many a ‘faux pas’ will be encountered along the way.
Identifying Main Beach as the initial point of re-development was a logical choice as most tourists arrive here each year for the splendid stretch of sand.
Therefore down came all the illegal buildings and out went all the ‘one season wonders’ which only ever took and never gave to this town.
I have been made aware that a proposal to UNESCO is being tabled to add the Temple of Apollo, and I believe Miletus, to their impressive list of World Heritage Sites, though this may take some time to be realised.
The Temple is sadly underused; only 34,000 visitors were attracted there last year, down 10.5% from the 38,000 the year previous.
Surely we must start to promote this wonderful archaeological site with real seriousness. Speaking to tourists in cafés and bars I am shocked that mostly they don’t even know that it is there, just a short dolmus ride away.
They tell me tour reps in the hotels only advertise the long haul trips; Ephesus, Pamukkale, Dalaman etc. No doubt this does wonders for the tour company’s coffers (and a nice commission from the carpet, leather goods and onyx traders) but what does it do for Didim?
I’ve taken it upon myself to escort tourists there, including Turkish, and they have all adored it, and questioned why it is not upon the tourist companies’ itinerary.
I have knowledge of only one tour company that advertises the Temple, Miletus and Priene, and that is Felicia Travel, the owner of which is Ali Çamurcu…the current President of TURSAB.
In the meantime traffic continues to destroy the only structure worth preserving in Didim.
The road past the Temple of Apollo is flagrantly misused, in both directions, shaking the 2000 year old “Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World” to smithereens.
The illegal buildings are strangling its boundaries, and obscuring yet more treasures waiting to be unveiled to an educated world, which in turn will bring affluence, of a lasting nature, into Didim.
Though still nothing is done to permanently close the road and eradicate the illegal buildings.
I am fully aware that here the political implications are more sensitive, for we are dealing with voters, not tourists, though I am hoping that this perverse blight that surrounds our most brilliant jewel is, or will be, addressed in the near future.
“Big Pictures”, Deniz, are difficult in a place without aesthetics.