TÜRKİYE’S SUSTAINABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TOURISM INITIATIVES RECOGNISED AT PRESTIGIOUS TTG AWARDS

Türkiye’s efforts to embed sustainability in its accommodation sector and make tourism more accessible have been recognised at the prestigious TTG Travel Industry Awards in London, where the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) scooped the Destination for Change Award.

The award recognises TGA’s work in supporting a more sustainable, accessible and inclusive tourism sector. Central to this approach are the nationwide rollout of Türkiye’s Sustainable Tourism Programme and ongoing efforts to improve access to public beaches, bringing environmental responsibility and participation together.

The programme provides accommodation businesses with a framework for improving how to manage environmental, social and cultural impacts. Its criteria include sustainability management, staff training, protecting natural and cultural heritage, and communicating progress to visitors. Businesses are expected to document their practices and monitor performance, making sustainability part of their day-to-day operations.

Alongside this work, Türkiye is increasing opportunities for more people to enjoy its coastline through accessible public beaches. These efforts support the country’s ambition to ensure that the benefits of tourism, including access to the sea and holidays, are more widely shared.

Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, said:

“We are putting our tourism goals into action with concrete steps. Through our sustainable tourism program, we are expanding environmentally sensitive practices in our accommodation facilities, and with our accessible public beaches, we are increasing opportunities so that everyone can benefit from the sea and vacation.

“This award demonstrates the success of the steps we have taken in line with our goal of sustainable and accessible tourism for everyone. I congratulate our TGA team and all sector stakeholders who contributed to winning this award.”

Türkiye’s approach builds on a cooperation agreement signed with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) in 2022 to implement a national sustainable tourism framework. By September 2025, more than 2,000 accommodation facilities had met these globally recognised standards in just three years - with Türkiye accounting for more than 80% of all GSTC-certified* hotels worldwide at that time.

Accessibility also features within the accommodation programme’s criteria, which address access for people with disabilities and other access requirements, alongside clear information about the accessibility of facilities. This connects the visitor experience with the wider management of tourism businesses.

The recognition highlights the contribution of TGA and its industry partners to Türkiye’s longer-term ambition: to protect the natural and cultural assets on which tourism depends while enabling more people to experience them.