The Mesopotamia Express, initiated by the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DTSO), has been selected by America's world-renowned Time magazine as one of the "100 Most Beautiful Places to Visit and See in the World."
In its special issue listing the world's most beautiful places to visit, Time magazine included 100 destinations. Among them was the Mesopotamia Express, which began operations in April this year. Initiated by the Turkish State Railways with support from the Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DTSO) and the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, the Mesopotamia Express conducted a total of eight trips between April and June.
These trips primarily invited guests, YouTubers, and influencers, who were hosted in Diyarbakır with the support of DTSO and the Metropolitan Municipality. Along with tours showcasing the city's historical and cultural beauty, Diyarbakır's gastronomy was also promoted.
DTSO President Mehmet Kaya stated that the inclusion of Diyarbakır among the ‘100 Places to Visit in the World’ by Time magazine would positively impact the city's tourism.
Kaya said, “We have always emphasized that Mesopotamia is an undiscovered, highly significant tourism destination. There is now a trend in tourism to seek out different destinations. As an organization, we have been working on this for about seven years, and we want the Mesopotamia Express to start operations. Mesopotamia has hosted 33 civilizations and boasts a history of 12,500 years. This region is the first settlement of the world. Food and agriculture first spread from this region. We need to introduce this tourism destination to the world. Looking back, we see that we have not been able to attract enough tourists even in domestic tourism. We are particularly weak in international tourism. There are many reasons for this, but promotion and perception management are among the most important. Now, the inclusion of Diyarbakır in Time magazine's ‘100 Places to Visit in the World’ will break these negative perceptions.”
Kaya explained that the Mesopotamia Express made a total of eight trips in April and June. “People will now see Mesopotamia as a tourism destination, traveling by train through the upper and lower regions of the area. Being featured in the top 100 will provide significant tourism revenue for Diyarbakır and the region. People will come comfortably and use this tour, take the train journey, and stay here. In April and June 2023, eight trips were made. We invited writers, columnists, and influencers with the support of the State Railways and the Metropolitan Municipality. These people joined the trips, shared their experiences of the tour, the scenery, and Mesopotamia. We knew they would share these experiences. We noticed it also created a significant buzz locally, with many responses.”
Finally, Kaya added, “Time magazine's inclusion of Diyarbakır in the top 100 places to visit was a pinnacle achievement, which is extremely important. Locally, we need to prepare for this with the Governor's Office, the Metropolitan Municipality, our chamber, civil society organizations, and tradespeople by 2025. We believe that after this announcement, the Mesopotamia Express will attract a significant number of tourists from abroad to the region. This will further enhance the recognition of the region and make a substantial contribution to its tourism.”
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