Turkey

Population: 69,660,559 (July 2005 est.)

Capital: Ankara

Environmental Issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing Bosporus ship traffic

The impact of tourism on Turkey's Fairy Chimneys

The unique and intriguing landscape of Cappadocia in central Turkey has homed humans and animals for over 2000 years. Throughout generations, its inhabitants have managed to carve out their homes and their lives amongst the volcanic landscape.

Today, tourists from around the globe come from near and far to walk amongst what are referred to as the ‘fairy chimneys'. One of the most popular destinations for travelers is the town of Göreme . It is a small town with a population of two thousand people, which swells into the tens of thousands during the peak tourist season. The key attractions of a visit to Cappadocia include walking through the spectacular valleys and sleeping in one of the numerous rock pensions.

he following memoirs are from residents that have lived in Göreme throughout the tourism boom. They recall a time when families lived from the produce of their farms. They tell of the changes they have witnessed to their town and within their community from the sighting of their first tourist, to the bus loads that appear each year. Fortunately, many of the environmental changes that have taken place in Göreme are positive. In fact, the following memoirs highlight more social changes than environmental changes.

	Hatice Aydine
	Hatice remembers seeing her first tourist. She was curious and did not understand why people had come from afar to visit her town. One of the biggest changes she has seen to the village is the transition of the workforce to the tourism industry.
	Mehmet Yucefayda
	Mehmet was one of the first people in the village to work with tourists. He believes that tourism has had a positive impact on the Göreme, as tourism revenue has been invested to restore important heritage sites.
	Ahmet Dasdeler
	Before selling carpets to tourists, Ahmet’s family used to run a flour mill. He believes that today’s tourists see a very similar Göreme to that of his childhood. He explains that one of the biggest changes has actually been to the way the community interacts with each other.
	Image Gallery