"Çeşme Tourism Assessment Meeting" held...

As part of the EMITT Tourism and Travel Fair currently under way at the Istanbul TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center, the “Çeşme Tourism Assessment Meeting” was held, organized by ÇEŞTOB - the Çeşme Association of Hoteliers and Operators. The meeting, which assessed Çeşme’s tourism assets as well as its future tourism goals and vision efforts, was hosted by ÇEŞTOB President Yakup Demir together with ÇEŞTOB Board Members, and was attended by Çeşme Mayor Ekrem Oran, İzmir Provincial Tourism Director Murat Karaçanta, TÜROB - Association of Turkish Hoteliers President Müberra Eresin, TÜROB Secretary General İsmail Taşdemir, TÜROB Board Member Mustafa Topaloğlu, and numerous travel agencies operating in the region’s tourism sector, chief among them executives from Etstur, Odamax, Setur and Otelz.

Çeşme, which has been one of the most important centers of life throughout the history of humanity, was the shining harbor of Erythrai, one of the 12 Ionian cities, around 1000 B.C. At the end of the 11th century the region was introduced to Turkish rule by the great Turkish seafarer Çaka Bey. The first things that come to mind when Çeşme is mentioned are its vibrant themed festivals, thermal waters, bicycle routes, Ilıca Beach, Çiftlikköy (Pırlanta Beach), Ayayorgi, the Çeşme Beach Clubs, the Ancient City of Erythrai, Çeşme Castle, the Şifne Hot Springs, the Caravanserai, the Ancient City of Erythrai – Ildırı, Germiyan Village, Alaçatı, surfing and scuba diving, and of course the incomparable Aegean cuisine. In addition, the İsmail Obası Mosque and tomb, located in the area of Çeşme known as “Old Çeşme” (İsmail Obası) and said to be the first mosque in the westernmost part of the Aegean, dating back to the 1390s and currently undergoing rapidly progressing restoration work launched by the Çeşme Municipality, will soon be opened for worship.