Gelibolu aims to attract 20,000 divers by 2026

Umut Erdem – ÇANAKKALE

In the western province of Çanakkale’s Gelibolu, authorities are setting their sights on turning the historical peninsula into a global hub for diving tourism, with a target of attracting 20,000 divers by 2026.

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has identified diving enthusiasts — renowned for their high travel expenditures — as a key audience.

In the Gelibolu Historical Underwater Park, 23 shipwrecks from the First World War have been made accessible following the area’s removal from its former military status.

Launched in 2017, the project represents one of Türkiye’s most ambitious openings into diving tourism. With support from TÜBİTAK, the South Marmara Development Agency, and Istanbul University, experts mapped wrecks across a 150-square-kilometer area in the Dardanelles and Aegean.

Today, divers can explore 14 designated sites, from the British supply ship SS Milo to the French battleship Massena, each resting at varying depths and carrying its wartime stories.

The park has already welcomed 6,000 divers in 2024 and around 10,000 this year. According to İsmail Kaşdemir, the head of the Gallipoli Historical Area, the demand had long existed but was constrained by the region’s military restrictions.

Kaşdemir emphasized that Gelibolu is poised to join global diving destinations such as Malta, Sharm El-Sheikh and Dubrovnik.

“Every day, visitor numbers grow. Next year, we hope to reach 20,000 divers. Beneath the sea lies a treasure, and we are determined to make Gelibolu one of the world’s premier diving centers,” he added.

The park offers divers not only historic wrecks but also a rich marine ecosystem.