Kalmar – Aegean region

There are two main topics in the cooperation within the partnership:

1. Cooperation in higher education, the business sector and the public sector (triple helix)

2.  Development of Sustainable Tourism

The project is now active within three areas:

 

1 Tourism strategy

Each of the three Turkish municipalities have begun working on creating a tourism strategy (Master plan) for the municipality. In Bornova this work will be carried out in cooperation with the Ege University and was finalized in the end of June. Karsiyaka is working together with Izmir University of Economics and the plan is finalized and approved by the mayor. The Manisa tourism strategy will be taken up for decision in October 2009.

 

2. Development areas for the creation of sustainable tourism

Bornova: The main focus area in Bornova is development of rural tourism. Ege University has in February 2008 completed 185 interviews made in seven villages located in the northern part of Bornova Municipality. The survey showed that two of the villages had a high potential for developing rural tourism, two villages had a medium potential and three had less potential. As a result of the survey Bornova municipality applied for grant from United Nations Joint Program with Sabanci Foundation for a project concerning education of woman working with rural tourism. The application was approved and 25 women from the villages are during the winter 2008/2009 given education in “home-lodging” carried through by Yasar University.

There are also big physical changes planned for the villages. Two closed schools have been  renovated and used as adult educational centres and centres for the villages, playground and sport fields (football) will be build and equipped, stands for purchasing handicraft and local produced food have been produced, an cemetery have be renovated and natural surroundings have been equipped to make it able to receive visitors.

A Levantine house has been bought by the Municipality and will be renovated and used as a museum and a tourist destination. The Municipality is also investigating the possibility of creating an association for rural tourism especially directed towards women.

Other results so far:

  • Burcu Aykut from the Municipality of Bornova is a volunteer in the City of Kalmar from October 2008 to August 2009.
  • Book about historical Bornova produced and published, September 2008.
  • Tourist site presented on Internet. July 2008.
  • Bornova has published a leaflet marketing rural tourism and Levantine houses in Bornova.
  • Three volunteers from Estonia, Lithuania and Italy make their volunteer service in Bornova municipality from February 2009 – February 2010.
  • Application to send 25 volunteers in the EVS-program abroad. April 2009.
  • A book about time travels has been produced by Ege university and Bornova Municipality. 50 copies.
  • Local Food Seminar. February 2009 with 30 participants during one day.

 

Karsiyaka: The main focus area for the city in the tusenet project is to develop the historical city of “Smyrna” as a cultural and historical tourism site. One information brochure in Turkish/English has been produced and a homepage has been published.

A new tourist brochure has been published and the municipality has for the first time participated in two tourist fairs, one in Izmir and one in Istanbul.

The “Latife Hanim house”, where Atatürk´s wife and mother lived, has been renovated and more then 600 persons, mainly youngsters, now visit the house every day.

A questionnaire concerning tourism answered by 1.700 inhabitants has been carried through by Izmir University of Economics on behalf of Karsiyaka Municipality. The answers are now being analyzed and will be an input to the Masterplan for Sustainable Tourism. Yazar University has also made a SWOT analyze concerning tourism in Karsiyaka.

Other results so far:

  • Karsiyaka application as “Historical City” approved. June 2008.
  • A terrace with a cafeteria with a view of the city has been constructed. June 2008. Today it belongs to Bayrakli Municpality since 2009.
  • National and international photo competition with photos from Karsiyaka to create a photo bank and workshop. April 2008.
  • Photo book with photos from the competition published. September 2008
  • Exhibition with the photos from the competition opened. October 2008.
  • International Karşıyaka Children’s Festival took place with participation of 17 countries. A dance school with six youngsters from Kalmar participated in it. April 2009
  • In scope of EVS a volunteer was sent to Portugal, Greece and Poland and a volunteer’s project accepted and she will go to Luxemburg in September term.
  • Participation in three tourism fairs, two in Izmir and one in Istanbul. 2008/2009. And some smaller local fairs.
  • Application to Union of Protection and Development of Bird Paradise in İzmir approved by Interior Ministery.

 

Manisa: The city is mainly focusing on developing “Manisa Tarzan” as a brand for the “Green and Healthy City” and on developing the Lydian capital “Sardes” as a tourist destination. Constructing the “Manisa Tarzan Park” is one of the priorities along with the Mosque, the Mesir Festival, the Fair and Congress Hall and Manisa Museum.

An art/artefact organization “Masmek” has been created to promote art and handicraft production in the Municipality. Course for art/artefact production started in October 2008. 750 persons was educated in 28 branches. The participants meet during five months three times every week. 4 hours per day. The courses are directed to unemployed people. After the course they normally get a job to produce these kinds of art and artefact. The courses will start again in October and they will sell the products in a special shop that will be opened in October.

The creation of a museum for Aegean food is another focus area. Research and the production of CD: s and books concerning Aegean food is planned and also to open up a restaurant serving Aegean food.

A tourist “triple helix” arena has been created and there are similar arenas created for transportation and for the development of the industrial zone.

Another idea in process is to establish a annual “Sustainable Tourism Conference” in Manisa. The first conference is planned to be arranged in October 2010. 

Other results so far:

  • Esin Caypinar from the Municipality of Manisa is a volunteer in the Kalmar County
  • Museum from October 2008 to August 2009.
  • Book presenting “the children’s message to the world” has been printed and distributed.
  • Food museum: Studies has begun and the log frame of the project is prepared in July 2009 in order to submit it for the financial possibilities. The work and research will continue. The food museum will not be opened during the Tusenet project period.
  • A book about Aegean food has been has been published in 5.000 copies in November 2008.
  • The first Tourist Information Centre in Manisa will be opened during the winter 2009/2010 in cooperation with the regional administration.

 

3. Time travel project

It has become clear that what has interested the Turkish project partners most is the “time travels” concept. The network made an application for a time travel project in May 2008 to the Swedish Partnership Programme managed by SALA IDA. The project started in September 2008 with a first education in Sweden, and the second education was arranged in Aegean region in November 2008. In all three municipalities sites for time travel have been decided;
Bornova will concentrate on the remains of a settlement “Yesilova Mound”, populated approximately 8000 - 8500 ago.
In Karsiyaka the chosen site for time travels is the ruins of the first European city, Smyrna.
Manisa would like to focus both on the old Lydian Capital city, Sardes, which was of great economic and political significance in the period 700-500 B.C., and on ”Manisa Tarzan”.

 

Conclusions and future efforts
We can conclude that the project is progressing towards becoming more concrete while also acquiring greater depth. Enthusiasm on the part of all of the Turkish municipalities has been at a peak with a high level of participation as well, both as concerns representation and engagement in the issues; and this includes all, from mayor to project administrators.

We can see a clear direction of the project where the tourism strategy and the concrete tasks in certain projects had taken off to a good start and gained momentum. This work is being carried out in the municipalities to a great extent together with local universities and partly outside the tusenet project. In the different sub-projects, Manisa’s creation of the brand “the Green and Health City”, Karsiyaka’s efforts to make “Smyrna” a more living cultural environment as a tourist destination, and Bornova’s work on rural tourism will require comparative efforts on Kalmar’s part.

The Time Travels project has the objective to create a strong time travel organization in the Aegean Region, that will be educated and equipped to be able to run time travels directed to schools, tourists, general public and organisations. This will strengthen the identity in relation to the local surroundings and create a sense of pride in local history. Opportunities will also be created for new business ventures and activities to develop in connection with the ‘revival’ of history and the ensuing increase in tourism.

 

 
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