Page 421 - 360.revista de Alta Velocidad - Nº 5

A first evaluation of the relationship between High Speed Rail (HSR) and the tourism sector in Turkey: The cases of
two Turkish cities

4.3 Eskişehir as a HSR city

4.3.1 Tourism in Eskişehir

Eskisehir is an attractive commercial, industrial and educational destination in the Central
Anatolian Region of Turkey (Figure 2). It has become one of the most popular cities in Turkey and
it is setting an example for other municipalities (Samkar & Alpu, 2013). The local administration
is one of the most important actor in terms of shaping city image and improving the existing
cultural and touristic attractions in the city (Tokay-Argan, 2016). In 2013, the city became the
Turkish World Capital of Culture, a title given to the cities having a certain level of cultural
heritage (Timur et al., 2014; Tokay-Argan, 2016).

Figure 2. Location of tourist attractive places in Eskişehir

Eskişehir, with its historical and cultural fabric, economy, entertainment and nightlife,
infrastructure (roads, communications, transport, etc.), shopping centres, recreational
activities, housing, security, sports facilities, parks, services, traffic, medical facilities,
restaurants, and green spaces, has the specialty of offering big city comforts in a small town. In
Figure 2, a conceptual map showing the locations of attractive places in Eskişehir is given. One
of the most attractive place in Eskişehir is Odunpazarı Historic Area which contains buildings
with unique architecture constructed in the late period of the Ottoman Empire. The area was
restored a few years ago and transformed into a living area with restaurants, boutique hotels
and shopping places that attract tourists (Okumuş, 2013; Tokay-Argan, 2016). The city centre
was also renewed and became attractive place in the recent years. In addition, there are
a few big theme parks (The City Park, Science, Art, and Culture Park, Waterfall Park, etc.)
constructed and opened for leisure activities, as well (see Image 1).

International Congress on High-speed Rail: Technologies and Long Term Impacts - Ciudad Real (Spain) - 25th anniversary Madrid-Sevilla corridor 419