Turkey food vacation

Planet

Learning about the country we are traveling to is of really important on our trips and Turkey is just brimming with history and culture. One of the reasons we prefer to use local Tour Leaders is so they can give a real insight into the local culture; anything from learning about the education system, to making sure we don’t fall foul of any taboos.

Secondly it is our policy to generate business and employment opportunities in the countries we travel to by employing local people. All our Tour Leaders in Turkey are locals and we’ve personally trained them all too so they are comfortable in their work and you get great service.

As well as respecting local people, we also like to be an economic benefit to them. We do this by using locally owned hotels, spreading our business to a variety of local restaurants (which is a great way to sample delicious Turkish food) and employing local guides where we can. Add to that that all our trips work to a strict Responsible Tourism Policy and you can be sure that even we’ve considered every aspect of our operation in Turkey and are confident it is best practice.

During our visit to Iztuzu Beach, which is perhaps the best beach in all Turkey, you will have the chance to visit the Turtle Conservation Centre (DEKAMER) which helps to protect turtle nesting areas on the beach, rehabilitate injured turtles and educate the local people on how to fish responsibly and protect the native marine life such as green and loggerhead turtles. Tourism to Turkey has been hit hard in recent years due to political unrest and its proximity to Syria; obviously our priority is always the safety of our groups and that is why we always follow UK foreign Office Travel Advice and are in constant contact with our local suppliers to ensure we know what conditions are like on the ground. However we also strongly believe that is important that we continue to send groups to Turkey to help support the local businesses and our local Leaders that have been hit hard by the downturn in tourism. It’s a wonderful country, with fantastic weather, stunning coastlines, forest covered hills, tons of ancient ruins and mouth-watering food and now is a great time to visit, as it’s affordable and you can avoid the crowds.

In addition to the above, we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage. As well as this, we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of UK travel industry bodies Tourism Concern and AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.

As a company we support Cool Earth. Protecting rainforest is one of the most effective actions to tackle climate breakdown. Cool Earth work with indigenous communities empowering them to conserve their forest; keeping CO2 locked in.

People

One of the key focuses on this trip is to discover, learn about and most importantly sample the wonderful local cuisine. We visit street food sellers in Istanbul and Selcuk, which is great for mixing with, and supporting, the local community. They are also superb spots for lunch with small cafes and restaurants offering dishes made from the fresh produce of the market.

This trip includes visits to local fruit wine makers in Sirince and a wine cellar in Goreme where we'll have the chance to support the local production through tasting and then perhaps purchasing their various wines.

Our local leaders are the heart of tours. They bring passion and unrivalled knowledge of the destinations and communities that we visit. Their guidance ensures we observe the cultural norms in a destination, they act as a bridge between travelers and the local community and ensure that tourism is a positive experience for both host and guest. We believe in supporting local; staying in locally-run hotels, exploring markets, buying snacks from street vendors, and by doing this we add money to the local economy and enhance our connection with the local community.