MEDITERRANEAN ACTION PLAN

Rapport de l’Atelier sur le tourisme et le développement durable en Méditerranée
Antaly (Turquie), 17, 18 & 19 septembre 1998
authorities thereby harnessing private sector productivity and efficiency for
public good. The South Antalya Project is one of the best cases for sustainable
tourism development, where numbers of top quality tourist beds with all
necessary infrastructure facilities and without creating any nuisance to nature,
are generated.
• In the major tourism destination area of Turkey, Antalya, the Metropolitan
Municipality received a loan from the World Bank to finance the water supply
and wastewater investments. Then the Municipality signed a service contract
in 1996 with a French operating company for the operation of environmental
infrastructure systems for 10 years management contract. This is the first
example in Turkey for the private sector participation in environmental
infrastructure services. By the involvement of private sector, the services are
expected to improve progressively in this major tourism centre of Turkey.
• In Çesme-AIaç ati, the district of Izmir, the Union formed by two municipalities
prepared an infrastructure project in 1997 with the technical assistance of the
Ministry of Tourism. Then the Union received a loan from the World Bank
towards the cost of « Çesme-AIaç ati Water Supply and Sewerage Project » for
the provision of environmental infrastructure services. The project provides a
new institutional arrangement for private sector participation for the operation
of services such as:
operation and maintenance of water supply and sewerage systems,
billing and collection of charges for water and sewerage services,
maintenance of detailed operating accounts and records,
monitoring of water supply and wastewater effluent quality.
This is also the first example of small and medium size municipalities receiving a
foreign loan and making arrangements for the involvement of private operator.
Similar efforts at the other Mediterranean municipalities shall eventuate the
sustainable development all along the coastline.
Besides these major projects supported by international finance organisations,
many small and medium sized infrastructure facilities are financed by the Ministry
of Tourism and they are currently operated by a public-private company TURAS,
which is also technically and financially supported by the Ministry of Tourism.
The Blue Flag Campaign could be an indicator about the results of these projects
and efforts made by the Ministry of Tourism. The beaches and marinas are
awarded by a Blue Flag if they comply with certain criteria of:
• water quality,
• coastal quality,
• environmental education,
• safety and management
These criteria are set by Foundation for Environmental Education for Europe
(FEEF) In 1992, only very few numbers of beaches and marines could apply for the
award, but now, 46 beaches and 10 marinas of Turkey have received Blue Flag
Awards 1998.
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Plan Bleu