Innovative new campaigns to bring Apollo Temple’s history into the mind’s eye of tourists are desperately needed, the President of the Didim Tourism Association has revealed to Voices.

“The thing I hope to achieve most during my presidency is to make Didim known in terms of cultural tourism,” said Melih Koyuncu, the Tourism Association’s new head. “We want to bring Didim together with a higher quality audience who know the value of history and cultural heritage.”

He spoke at length of the projects they plan to implement in Didim, primarily to revive cultural tourism and to meet British groups to work together by establishing close relations.

Melih Koyuncu

The President suggested Didim should be in a different position. Explaining Didim’s biggest problem as a “lack of awareness”, Koyuncu stated that the local government and the ministries had not made adequate and accurate promotions from the past to the present.

Stating that Didim has all the features that can be in a holiday region, Koyuncu said, “I think Didim is more beautiful than other holiday regions with its natural beauties, beaches, sand, sea and air. In addition, we have Apollon Temple, and Miletus, which have historical significance.

“However, when all these values come together, we encounter a different view than expected. Everything is in a state of confusion, there is a non-identity problem in Didim.

“The feature of Didim that should stand out from other regions is Apollo. I dream of an Apollo and its surroundings, where tourist groups flock to visit it.”

QR code innovation

Stating that the tourists who come here are not informed about the history of Didim, he said, “Instead of preparing brochures as in the past, we have a project to place QR code signs all over the city with today’s technology.

“Thus, information about Apollo, Medusa, and Poseidon will be reached; The history of the Temple of Apollo will be learned. In addition, there will be plates that will provide information about the ancient Greek thinkers who lived in the region.”

Saying that the local people in Didim do not have enough information about the history of this place, Koyuncu also gave information about the school trip project that will be implemented at the start of the new school term.

He said: “We will organize school trips to raise generations who know the history of the place they live in and are aware that it is a cultural heritage. But we will take this very seriously. We will work with a good tour guide staff.”

“Oracles of the World Unite at Apollo”

Thinking that to realize this dream, it is necessary to announce to the world that Apollo is a centre of prophecy, Koyuncu said, “We have a project of promotion festivals for “seers” will come from around the world.

“We discussed this with local authorities and plan to meet with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and implement it. By seers, I don’t mean to revive fortune-telling. However, as a festival theme, we want to highlight Apollo as an oracle centre.”

Hotel occupancy rates

Asked how he evaluates the season, he said a good start was made, especially with the festive holiday. “At the beginning of the season, hotel occupancy reached 95 per cent. This has dramatically increased our hopes for the season.

“However, there has been a decrease in domestic tourists since this month. The main reason for this is the opening of schools. In addition, the Germans are slowly leaving. We will experience a short-term discharge. However, we expect hotels to be 80 per cent full again in September.”

The expectation that the hotels will be full in September is especially related to the arrival of British holidaymakers.

Stating that many British tourists prefer Didim in September, Koyuncu said, “Many Brits tend to come to Didim in September due to the decrease in the extreme temperatures and the decrease in the crowd.”

‘Tourist’s Spending Behavior Changed Significantly’

Koyuncu said that despite the hotel occupancy rate, he observed that the tradesmen could not get enough efficiency from the season.

Koyuncu, who has been in the tourism business and business owner for many years, said: “This is the first time I’ve seen German Turks ask for prices before they come to the restaurant. German Turks and citizens of other European countries, who spend quite comfortably due to the exchange rate difference, are now thinking twice. I think the inflation over Europe has changed the tourist’s spending behaviour quite a bit,” he said.

Meet British groups to add value to Didim

Koyuncu said he regrets that the Tourism Association is not in contact with the British and their groups. Koyuncu made a call to work together: “It is the British who add value here. I admire their determination to beautify the city they live in by coming together on a voluntary basis.

“We, as the Didim Tourism Association, will work to beautify Didim with a similar determination. We will refrain from getting involved in political issues in local government and between civil society organizations and will act together with all local units and communities.

“We are very happy to include British communities among these local groups. We welcome every foreign citizen who comes to Didim Tourism Association, to work there voluntarily, and to give us ideas about what we can do. Didim belongs to all of us.”