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25 Jul 2014
Turkey's museums see more than 420 per cent attendance increase over the last decade
By Tom Anstey
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Topkapi Palace has seen the sharpest attendance increase over the past year for historical attractions and museums
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Turkey’s cultural heritage has received a huge boost over the past decade, with visitors to museums and historic sites increasing by more than 420 per cent.
Between 2000 and 2013, the number of cultural visitors saw an increase of 428.8 per cent. According to the Turkey Museums 2013 report by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, 29,533,966 people visited museums and historical sites in Turkey that year, of which 69 per cent travelled from abroad and 31 per cent were Turkish citizens. Topkapi Palace and its harem section noted the highest increase, totalling 4,428,463 visits.
Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism places the total number of museums in the country at 370, 188 of which are government-run and 192 of which are privately run. At present, 16 museums are under restoration and development while 34 others will soon launch.
Around the country, many towns are opening new museums, or what some are calling “tourism locomotives” – boosting tourism in the areas surrounding new museums. The boost in new museums and museum renovations is a trend which has also been seen in China, most notably with recent examples including theMuseum of Literature and a museum dedicated to roast duck, though the surge in museum numbers (more than 300 in the past year) has caused difficulties relating to forgeries on display.
Murat Gurul, the assistant director of the General Directorate for Cultural Assets and Museums for Turkey, said that despite a 96 per cent visitor satisfaction rate for Turkey’s museums, allocated funding is insufficient. Last year the museums department was awarded 298,947,000 Turkish lira (US$143m, €106m, £84m) – 16 per cent of the budget of Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
More broadly, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies is targeting 43 million visitors and US$36bn (€26.7bn, £21.1bn) in revenue for 2014, with the country’s museums and historical landmarks playing an ever increasing role in that figure.
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