Holiday Extras and Girl Vs Globe meet us in Turkey

Thanks to customer donations, Holiday Extras is supporting the Travel Foundation’s work across the globe including our programme in Fethiye, Turkey where I’m based as a Project Coordinator. Last month they paid us a visit to understand where some of their funds are being used and to see for themselves the positive impacts on the ground. Caroline and Abi from Holiday Extras were joined by British blogger Sabina who writes Girl Vs Globe and is a big advocate of sustainable travel.

Fethiye is a vibrant and beautiful coastal region, drawing 600,000 tourists each year and is an important area for marine biodiversity. We’ve had a history with this destination as it’s where we’ve previously worked with partners to set up the “Taste of Fethiye” project which improved supply links between local food growers and the hotels in the region.

Last year, the Travel Foundation handed the long-term project management to a local agency and we are now working on another initiative, “Blue Wave”, to preserve the region’s marine environment.

Our whistle-stop tour with Sabina and the Holiday Extras team included visits to the bustling local produce markets; tasting authentic Turkish cuisine; meeting the local farmers supplying the hotels and the hotels themselves; and boat and paddle boarding excursions to appreciate the marine activities on offer to tourists (and of course to soak up the sun and admire the beautiful bays and crystal-clear waters!). We also made sure our guests had the opportunity to talk to some of our partners including FETAV – Fethiye’s tourism, culture and environment NGO, and D-Marin who manages the marina. Sabina was well-received by the local press which in turn was a good opportunity for us to raise our local profile and fly the flag for sustainable tourism.

Their visit was a great opportunity for two worlds to meet and we’re looking forward to future collaboration and support from Holiday Extras. I’d like to thank everybody who took time to meet our guests and shared their passion for sustainable tourism in this destination. A special thanks goes to our Blue Wave partners, the Chamber of Shipping, who arranged an excursion for our guests on board a stunning yacht and also to D-Marin who gave them a tour of the marina and another boat trip in nearby Göcek.

Here are just a few of their videos they captured during the trip.