The role of crete immigrants in development of guest housing in Bodrum

Abstract

Bodrum lived through two significant wave of migration from Crete Island in 1897 and 1923 and many Turks were domiciled in Bodrum after the population exchange. A touristic dynamism started in Bodrum in 1958. Thereupon, bodrum tourism and promotion foundation was established in 1959. Since, the number of hotels and guest houses were inadequate in Bodrum those days, this foundation asked the immigrants to open up their houses for tourists. Then the Crete immigrant families started to rent their rooms to tourists. Thus, the concept of guest housing developed. Nowadays Bodrum is one of the most significant tourist attractions and entertainment centers of Turkey. The purpose of this study is to reveal the role of immigrants in development of guest housing concept in Bodrum. For this purpose, secondary resources were made use of and the 10 Crete immigrants landlords were verbally interviewed. As a result of this study, it was observed that concept in Bodrum started when the immigrant families from Crete and Kos opened up their houses for tourists and continued until the number of hotels increased with the Law of Tourism Incentive in 1982