Sivas Tourism Master Plan and Tourism Development Action Plan Presented to Minister Ersoy
The Sivas Tourism Master Plan and the Sivas Tourism Development Action Plan were presented to Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Prepared by Cappadocia University under the coordination of the Sivas Governorship, the plans aim to enhance Sivas’s tourism potential in line with the principles of sustainable tourism. The presentation was attended by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler, Sivas Governor Dr. Yılmaz Şimşek, members of parliament, deputy governors, Sivas Mayor Dr. Adem Uzun, and senior officials from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Designed to strengthen Sivas’s rich historical, cultural, and geothermal assets through a sustainable tourism approach, the plans aim to transform the city from a transit destination into a primary destination where visitors stay longer, thereby contributing to regional development. Adopting a multi-stakeholder planning approach, the project established a strategic framework for tourism development through interactive search conferences, SWOT analyses, stakeholder consultations, focus group meetings, and field research, resulting in a practical roadmap covering the 2026–2030 period.
The study developed a strategic roadmap for tourism by addressing Sivas’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage, Seljuk architectural heritage, health tourism resources, rich gastronomy, and historical, cultural, and geothermal assets through an integrated and comprehensive perspective.
Representing Cappadocia University at the presentation were Prof. Dr. Bilgehan Gülcan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Halil Burak Sakal, Lecturer Dr. Avşin Ayhan, and Lecturer Dr. Burcu Tezcan. The academics presented the scientific framework underpinning the Sivas Tourism Master Plan and the Sivas Tourism Development Action Plan, highlighting the evidence-based methodology adopted throughout the planning process.
The action plan is expected to strengthen Sivas’s tourism brand, enhance its competitiveness, and support its transformation from a transit point into a destination where visitors choose to stay, thereby contributing to the province’s long-term sustainable tourism development.
