TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF EMINONU AND BEYOGLU DISTRICTS (TUGEP)

Starting from the purpose for Istanbul which is one of the oldest history, culture and civilisation centres of the world to take the deserved share from the tourism sector, a study was initiated under the title(TUGEP) as the Tourism Development Project of Eminonu and Beyoglu by the Istanbul Governor’s Office in order to further increase the tourists potential of the city and to make our districts of Eminonu and Beyoglu in which there are more tourist values more attractive regions, to make them appropriate for their historical identities which the tourists pay attention, to perform their regular maintenances, again to prepare and to arrange the place in which the tourists could access easily and make their shopping and in addition to this the tourist articles and handcrafts are sold and the paintings symbolising the history of Istanbul are also exhibited, and TUROB took part in the aforementioned project actively.

ISTANBUL DESTINATION PROJECT

In “Istanbul Destination Project” which was initiated by the Ministry of Tourism at Lutfi Kirdar Convention Centre on the date 04th May 2001 in order to enable Istanbul to take the deserved place among the metropolises of the world, the members of the board of directors of TUROB and also other sector representatives took part together.
ISTANBUL SHOPPING FESTIVAL

Our most important target is to make our Istanbul which is one of the most beautiful cities of the world one of the most distinguished and prestigious tourism brands of the world as well.
Our collaboration with ITO and TURSAB is continuing in Istanbul Shopping Fest. Istanbul Shopping Fest which is organised for the third time this year included a number of structures such as shopping centres, accommodation, airlines and transportation too.
The project will continue traditionally, and we believe that it will make a great contribution not only ot the shopping centre but also the tourism sector very importantly.
GOLDEN KEY REWARD CEREMONY

The “Golden Key Reward Ceremony” which is realised by our association according to various criteria became traditional as a ceremony in which all of the leading hotels of Turkey are competing and are rewarded, and the President and several Ministers take part together.
THE PROJECTS OF “TURKEY HOTELS SELECT THEIR BRAND”

TUROB selected its new sponsors for its own structure by means of the project “Turkey Hotels Select their brand”. Our sponsors for this year are selected as ECOLAB, METRO, EFES PİLSEN and YURTİÇİ KARGO.

MINIATURK PROJECT

We also supported the project “MINIATURK” which is one of the most important projects carried out by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality recently in order to further beautify our Istanbul.
In this respect, the tourists could show around the Golden Horn (Halic) which is full of historical items in order to see the places where they want to go and also could see a lot of our historical beauties together, and then could participate there after Istanbul most probably in order to examine these marvellous places in their original sites. Thanks to this project, the historical and cultural tours which are started in Istanbul will always continued in the tourism sector.
PROJECT OF COLLABORATION WITH EDEXCEL
EDEXCEL (is an education and diploma corporation which is composed of the leading two committees of examination and evaluation of the United Kingdom.)
The purpose from this project is to start and implement the evaluation and certification studies according to the international qualifications in the vocations of tourism and accommodation in Turkey.
The studies were also started within the process of complete membership of Turkey to European Union as based on not only acquired contents but also the necessary standards. Consequently, it was considered fit and appropriate to issue an internationally valid certificate to those became successful as a consequence of the evaluation work. In this respect, the common studies were commenced for the purpose of services of counselling and certification as well as providing the required contents with Edexcel which is a British organisation specialised on its subject.

The target mass of people in this project could be defined as the persons who either employed in the sector or want to take part within the structure of the sector.

The construction and application of the project is carried out by the Permanent Educational Centre of Akdeniz University (AKUNSEM), Permanent Educational Centre of Ankara University (ANKUSEM), Lifetime Education Centre of Bogazici University (BUYEM), the Permanent Educational Centre of Ege University (EGESEM) and Turkey Association of Hotels (TUROB) representing the sector and Tourism Developmental and Educational Foundation (TUGEV) and with Edexel organisation.
PROJECT OF “E.U. TOURISM EDUCATION PROGRAMME”

The essential purpose from this project is to arrange the educational programmes in order to train the intermediate workforce in the quality and type as required by the increasing tourism industry within the region for the graduates of high school between the ages 20-29 who live in Beyoglu District. Education programmes in such a manner will be carried out in an Education Centre to be established in the district mansion house. In this Educational Centre the advanced-level vocational training and knowledge will be properly provided as directed as general education and specialisation where the theoretical knowledge will be also supported with the applications and practices to the target mass of people.

This educational programme was developed with the contribution of EDEXCEL (which is an education and diploma corporation which is composed of the leading two committees of examination and evaluation of the United Kingdom) by Lifetime Education Centre of Bogazici University (BUYEM) and is designed for the people to be better prepared for the working life. The difference of this programme is that all of the educationists, industry representatives -TUROB- and the professional organisations work and then prepared the mentioned programme together.

A prestige certificate will be given to the students who became successful in this educational programme and evidencing that they gained the necessary experiences and knowledge in compliance with the widely accepted standards on the international arena. This certificate will be also issued as approved by both of EDEXCEL and Bogazici University.

The students that took real Education for the real life will be recognised the opportunity of internship on the branches that they were given education for one (1) month period of time, and just after graduation, they will be employed by means of the career days which will be organised by the tourism platform that takes part in the structure of Beyoglu Municipality.
Such a big-scaled tourism platform was firstly formed where Beyoglu Municipality which participates in the project as a participant party, and the non-governmental organisations and the specialised professional Vocation Unions joined together with the coordination of the central and local administrations within the scope of “Beyoglu Tourism Development Project”. This platform carries out effective studies in order to implement new projects on tourism are in the region with effective participation of TUROB authorities, and the owners of a lot of leading hotels which are the members of TUROB. The activity area of platform will be then extended to make contribution to this educational project in the near future. This platform which the TUROB authorities effectively attend will fulfil also some activities in order to provide human resources for the tourism sector.
The general purpose of the project is;

To provide the intermediate manpower which is needed by the tourism enterprises in the region and also to improve the model of education and employment, and in this respect, to keep the vocational and the technical education levels of the manpower which is employed in the hotels existing in the region higher, and to ensure the service quality which is required for the tourists approach.

As directed at the purposes of the eight five-year development plan (article 693), to improve programmes in which the local administration and non-governmental organisations will maintain within collaboration in order to enhance the possibilities of informal education in the community and to constitute a model and to fight against unemployment by means of these programmes and to develop the welfare of the region.

In the following periods, in the light of the project of “Vocational and Technical Training Modernisation” of the European Union, to enlarge the scope of this educational project and to implement it in the other local administrations, and consequently to strengthen the infrastructure of the tourism industry, just in compliance wit the targets of the country.

Source :Touristic hotels & Investors Association