Scam of the Year. In Turkey, Guides Take Tourists to Non-Existent Attractions.

A major fraud involving foreign tourists has been uncovered in Turkey: guides conducted fake tours to non-existent attractions. This was reported by Turizm Güncel.

Cappadocia is a historical region in central Turkey, known for its unique landscapes and popular among travelers. However, an investigation conducted by local tourism companies revealed that some tour companies were organizing trips to fake sites. This explains why the prices for such tours sometimes turn out to be below market.

The Tourism Current Guides Association raised a scandal after the investigation. Fraudulent agencies lure tourists with low prices, but instead of famous places like the Ihlara Canyon, groups were taken to similar but not authentic locations. The popular town of Göreme in Cappadocia was shown only from a distance.

"They take foreign tourists to a place near Ihlara and tell them it's Göreme (a well-known town in the historical region of Cappadocia with many cave churches from the Byzantine period). And they explain everything there. Some even take tourists to lemon warehouses and present them as an underground city...," experts reported. In addition, tourists were led through abandoned houses and made to climb into attics, presenting the building as a historical landmark.

Most tourists, not knowing the area, do not even suspect the deception. And if an expert appears among them, they are reassured with explanations that the site is under renovation. Experts note that such fraud damages both the reputation of Cappadocia and the image of Turkey as a whole. In their opinion, those engaged in such machinations should be identified and punished, as it not only misleads tourists but also negatively affects the country's revenues.

Incidentally, Turkey plans to create a "second Cappadocia" with thermal hotels and hot air balloon flights. The country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism is already working on transforming the well-known Phrygia Valley into a popular tourist region. Currently, 90% of the region's visitors are domestic tourists. Turks aim to change this, increasing the number of foreign tourists and extending their stay to three days.