Peace process revives tourism in eastern Turkey

With the ongoing peace process, Eastern provinces, notably, Van which could not reach the desired potential in tourism because of terrorism, are going through busy days now. Van, located on the eastern shore of Lake Van basin and has often been called "the pearl of the East", is now enjoying a live tourism. Abdullah Tuncdemir, Director of Van branch of TURSAB Association of Turkish Travel Agencies invited local and foreign tourists to see the beauty and richness of the city and the hospitality of local people. "After the peace process was initiated, travel agencies again included Van region into their tours. When the population of the city was about 100.000, the city attracted tourists as much as its population. Now the city’s population is 1 million and now we have greater goals in tourism sector." Tuncdemir said. Necdet Aksoy, the chairman of hotel Merit Sahmaran, also said they aimed to again experience the time when Van hosted tourists more than its population. Aksoy pointed that projects should be prepared in order to extend the investments. Irem Tinli Angun, general manager of Hotel Rescate, also said they expected a flow of local and foreign tourists into the city.