Rize is a Candidate to Become a Winter Tourism Center: Rize Provincial Tourism Director İsmail Hocaoğlu said that Rize will become an important winter tourism center with the increase of winter activities in Rize and the implementation of two important winter tourism investments that are at the stage of planning.
Winter activities such as Heliski Sports, Ayder Snowman Festivals, Petran Ski Competitions and Ovit Snow Festival, which have been held in Rize for the last ten years, ensure that tens of thousands of tourists flock to Rize in winter as well as in summer. Winter tourism activities, thermal springs in İkizdere and Çamlıhemşin, and health tourism alternatives also ensure that tourism in Rize spreads to 12 months of the year.
Providing information on the subject, Provincial Tourism Director İsmail Hocaoğlu stated that the helicopter skiing sport (Heliski), which is considered to be the peak of winter tourism, has revived and developed in Rize and said, “Heliksi sport, which started about 10 years ago in Kaçkarlar, It was an important spark in its development. Heliski was also a factor in the emergence of the natural winter tourism potential of our region. This year, a company that applied to our ministry for helix organization received the necessary permissions. We expect the company to start its operations in late January. With the start of the activities, professional skiers from many different regions of the world will come to our city and contribute to the promotion of our region with their experience ”.
TWO IMPORTANT TOURISM INVESTMENT
Hocaoğlu stated that many events such as Ayder Snowman Festival, Ovit Snow Festival and Petran Ski Races will keep tourism alive in the winter months, and said, “These events will enable thousands of local and foreign tourists to flock to our plateaus during the winter months. In the past, our hotels in our highlands would be empty during the winter months. In recent years, tourists have to make reservations in advance to find a place in hotels during the winter months. These are pleasing developments for our city. Plan project studies continue for Hazindağ Ski Center and Ovit Winter Sports Center, which are also followed by our Ministry. These two important projects, whose funds were taken, reached the tender stage. The implementation of these two projects in Rize, Turkey will become one of the most important winter tourism centers, "he said.
THERMAL FACILITIES TOURISM 12 AYA SPRINGS
Underlining that the thermal water resources of Rize are of great importance in spreading tourism in the province to 12 months, Hocaoğlu said, “We have two important thermal resources in İkizdere and Çamlıhemşin districts. The thermal water of our İkizdere District is shown as one of the highest quality resources in the world in terms of the mineral it contains. These two important resources keep health tourism in our city alive for 12 months. Domestic and foreign tourists who want to take advantage of thermal resources come under the snow in winter as well as in the summer months and find the opportunity to enter thermal pools in modern facilities and find accommodation that is more than five stars ”.
