Green Transformation from Local to Global

Implemented through the collaboration of UNDP, Enerjisa Enerji, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the SENTRUM Project brings an environmentally compatible, low-carbon, year-round, and inclusive tourism model to Türkiye’s unique destinations.

As the climate crisis, the need to protect natural resources, and local development requirements force the tourism sector to transform, SENTRUM stands out as one of the pioneering initiatives leading this change. The Sustainable Energy-Based Tourism Implementation Center (SENTRUM) Project—implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Enerjisa Enerji, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA)—aims to scale an environmentally, culturally, and socially balanced tourism model nationwide, starting at the local level. UNDP Project Manager Aslı Çakın Dağlı summarizes the project’s point of departure as follows: “We want to develop a climate-friendly, year-round, community-based, and energy-efficiency-focused approach to tourism. SENTRUM offers a model that transforms not only tourism activities but the entire life of the region.”

The implementation centers established within SENTRUM are not merely physical structures; they become hubs for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and community production. Speaking about their function, Dağlı says, “Through trainings, workshops, and activities developed with local stakeholders, we aim to embed climate-friendly lifestyles and conscious tourism practices.”

FIRST STOP: KÜÇÜKKÖY, SECOND DESTINATION: BİRGİ

Balıkesir’s Küçükköy Neighborhood was selected as the project’s first implementation site. Here, energy audits were conducted, solar energy systems were installed, and sustainable tourism routes were developed. Dağlı describes the process as follows: “Every practice we implemented was planned to highlight the area’s natural and cultural richness.”

The second implementation center was established in the historic village of Birgi, in İzmir’s Ödemiş district. Opened in May 2025, the SENTRUM Birgi Implementation Center became the heart of projects that combine the region’s natural structure, cultural heritage, and social potential with a sustainable tourism approach. Dağlı explains the process in Birgi with these words:
“From women and young people to artisans and local businesses, many actively took part in this process. We set up workshops, produced together, and made decisions collectively. This sense of ownership turned Birgi into a living model project.”

All activities carried out under SENTRUM are aligned with the criteria of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Effective outcomes are targeted across a wide range of areas—from energy efficiency and the protection of cultural heritage to the empowerment of women and youth, and climate awareness. On this point, Dağlı adds:
“In all our activities, we ensure alignment with global sustainability standards. Through our implementation centers, we place local heritage at the core and make this transformation more visible and lasting.”