Farm to hotel project handed over

Travel Foundation  Taste of Fethiye generated over half a million pounds – over 2,000 tonnes of fruit and veg for tourists

Launched in 2010, the Taste of Fethiye five year project was a collaboration between Travel Foundation, Co-operative Travel, Thomson, First Choice and Thomas Cook.

The project has now been handed over to local partners.

The project was developed primarily to assist farmers in the Fethiye area of Turkey, to improve the benefits they gain from tourism and to encourage good farming practise.

The project aims included helping hotels in the Fethiye region buy produce from local farmers. And helping local farmers to better understand the needs of hotels, and plan their production cycles accordingly, and help them to market their goods successfully.

So far the project has achieved:

Throughout 2011, a series of workshops were held for farmers in the region, including advice on planning, collaboration of production and marketing to reduce waste and reduce costs. Written guidelines were also produced.

A ‘Taste of Fethiye’ logo was developed.

A self drive ‘Village Routes’ booklet for holidaymakers was developed and distributed for the summer 2012 season, with the aim of encouraging holidaymakers to explore the great local produce that the region has to offer.

During the 2012 summer season, 32 local food events were held at hotels to help raise the profile of the produce, and the hoteliers supporting the local producers.

Over the 2013 growing season the farmers implemented new practices, including reducing their reliance on greenhouse production. By switching to more sustainable agricultural practices, they have managed to reduce costs by 30% and achieve a 26% increase in profits.

The summer 2014 season saw 878 tonnes of diverse, high quality, competitively-priced, fresh fruit and vegetables sustainably produced by 29 Taste of Fethiye farmers in six villages.

Over the 2014 season 254 tonnes of the produce was sold to hotels in Fethiye, and the remainder to other customers.

In the first three years of the project 2,109 tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables have been produced, generating £510,923 in revenue.

Said Salih Tasç-±, head of Fethiye’s TURSAB "This is a project I would like to see continuing forever. It is so important for tourism in this area and an important step in encouraging sustainable and responsible tourism in the area."

Download the case study HERE http://www.thetravelfoundation.org.uk/images/media/ToF_Case_study_download_web.pdf

Valere Tjolle

@ValereTjolle