With more than 27 million foreign visitors in 2009, the tourism industry is essential to the Turkish economy. The ecotourism movement aims to preserve the natural beauty that makes Turkey such a popular destination, while providing new economic opportunities, especially for rural communities.
The Kure Mountains National Park was created in 1999, and covers 117,000 hectares in Northern Anatolia, the habitat of the brown bear. Visitors must enter the park with trained local guides. The Pinarbasi Ecotourism Center, opened in 2002, allows guests to stay in a restored traditional wooden mansion while they enjoy the natural beauty of the region. Zumrat Village, another pilot ecotourism project, gives tourists a taste of traditional Turkish country life.
Garanti Bank, one of Turkey's largest financial institutions, has been the primary sponsor of the World Wildlife Fund in Turkey since its founding in 1996. It was awarded the WWF's "Golden Panda" in 2008. EcoTurkey, founded by a Turkish journalist in 2009, is a travel company dedicated to promoting ecotourism in the country.
