Gathering nearly 160 travel agencies from 16 countries, the International Kaçkar Tourism Fair — held for the first time — cast the Kaçkar Mountains into focus as a uniquely preserved landscape with growing tourism appeal.
Stretching across Artvin and Rize, the Kaçkar Mountains are defined by their rugged alpine terrain, glacial streams and high-altitude plateaus, making them one of the country’s most ecologically rich and visually striking landscapes, showcasing every shade of green.
Organized under the auspices of the Rize and Artvin Governor’s Offices, the event served as a platform for partnerships, investment opportunities and the promotion of sustainable tourism in the Black Sea region, with a strong focus on nature and sports.
“The Kaçkar Mountains, our nature and culture are our greatest strengths. With this synergy, our region will become a strong tourism destination,” Rize Governor İhsan Selim Baydaş said.
Artvin Deputy Governor Berker Çırak emphasized the joint vision between the two provinces, stating, “Kaçkarlar is a whole. Every step taken within this unity will strengthen our regional tourism brand.”
Elif Balcı, a sector representative, highlighted the global shift toward experience-driven travel, noting that outdoor and sports tourism account for roughly 10 percent of global tourism spending.
In recent years, the region has increasingly positioned itself as a hub for outdoor and international sports events with activities such as trekking, mountaineering, cycling and ultra trail running gaining prominence alongside winter sports like heliskiing.
The Kaçkar Mountains are also set to host Kaçkar by UTMB between 11-13 Sept., an internationally recognized ultra-trail running event that is part of the UTMB World Series — a global circuit of endurance races held in some of the world’s most challenging mountain landscapes.
Discover Kaçkar Project Director Ceylan Şensoy said Türkiye’s tourism development in the region is being shaped gradually through a structured, multi-stakeholder approach.
She noted that, in line with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) destination criteria and the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s parallel sustainability program, a roadmap has been prepared and is being implemented step by step, with public-private cooperation and ongoing stakeholder dialogue.
The tourism fair attracted approximately 10,000 visitors and hosted hundreds of business meetings, exceeding initial projections. Burak Avcı, the head of a local tourism association, added that business-to-business dialogues surpassed expectations and would shape the fair’s future scope.
The event ran from April 17 to 18, concluding with a strong turnout and positive feedback from both industry stakeholders and visitors.
