Let’s Hear it for Turkey!

May 8, 2010

When the Anatolian Festival was hosted for the second year in a row in Irvine, California, in May 2010, Turkey’s largest cities were recreated on backdrops, actors, were hired to welcome guests, and entertainers from Turkey flew over to Orange County, California to perform in the four day event.

We asked the event planners if the festival was designed to improve tourism to Turkey and the suprising answer was, “no”. Attempting to share Turkish culture, customs, heritage and foods was the goald of the event that did manage to do just that.  With costumed dancers, choir singers, and even a mosque where you could go to pray five times a day, the event had many aspects of Turkish life covered–including its beaches with a sandy seaside area inviting guests to relax under shade umbrellas.

In just so happened that the launch of the Anatolian Festival coincided with  ae Turkish Airlines announcement of direct flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Turkey. Even though the  festival was not designed to promote tourism, it certainly did so. Examining the beautiful products hand-crafted by artisans, seeing the colorful backdrops and photographs, and meeting dancers, musicians, and the world-winner arm wrestler from Turkey all served to make you want to go there if you haven’t done so already.