Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) organised an event titled “Gaziantep, Tourism and Sustainability” as part of the 46th Tourism Week. At the event, the speakers discussed the issues necessary for the sustainability of tourism in Gaziantep. While the guests delivered their presentations as speakers, the students also showed great interest in the event.
“TOURISM IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR A COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT”
The opening speech of the programme was given by Prof. Dr. Gül Rengin Küçükerdoğan, Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Vice-Rector of HKU. Explaining the importance of tourism, tourism activities after the pandemic and the importance of digitalisation in this process, Küçükerdoğan said: “We are together in a programme that is extremely important in terms of creating awareness and raising consciousness about tourism on the part of our university. Increasing tourism-oriented work for Gaziantep through such programmes will make an important contribution to the development of the city. Tourism is extremely important for a country’s development. Tourism makes it possible for individuals to learn about different cultures and ideas. In this sense, tourism is indispensable for protecting and safeguarding a country’s cultural heritage and values. Moreover, tourism enables individuals to get to know different cultures and look at the world from a different perspective.”
TOURISM IN GAZIANTEP
In the programme, Mehmet Bülent Öztürk, Gaziantep Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, first gave a presentation and talk on “Tourism in Gaziantep”. Öztürk described the cultural and tourism-related activities of the Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism in Gaziantep. Sharing statistical information on Gaziantep’s cultural and historical destinations as well as details of work on food culture, Öztürk exchanged information on cultural and tourism work and described the measures taken for tourism in Gaziantep during the pandemic.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM
Another speaker of the programme, Asst. Prof. Dr. Furkan Baltacı, Head of the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Hasan Kalyoncu University, gave a presentation on “Sustainable Development and Tourism”. Beginning his presentation by describing tourism activities in the world and in Turkey, Baltacı shared statistical information from United Nations (UN) reports. Explaining to the audience the topics the UN addresses within the scope of sustainability, Baltacı touched on the contribution of alternative tourism methods to the promotion and benefit of the city under the heading of sustainability in Gaziantep.
GASTRONOMY AS LOCAL IDENTITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH TOURISM
The final speaker of the programme, Lect. Ceyhun Uçuk, gave a presentation titled “Gastronomy as Local Identity and Its Relationship with Tourism”. Conveying information about studies on tourism, gastronomy tourism, local identity and culture, Uçuk talked about the interdisciplinary nature of gastronomy. In this context, Uçuk touched on neurology and neuromarketing and discussed new approaches to how culinary culture should be preserved today.
