Mustafapaşa Ranks First Among Best Tourism Villages by Meeting Nine Sustainable Development Goals
Mustafapaşa Village, where Cappadocia University (KÜN) is located, has entered the list of the world’s “Best Tourism Villages” determined by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in first place by meeting the highest number of evaluation criteria. Mustafapaşa has met nine of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, placing it ahead of all its competitors.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Tourism Sector
In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present generation without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” Tourism is one of the most important sectors playing a major role in development both in Turkey and in the world. Before the Covid-19 Pandemic, the rapidly developing sector had reached a size of 10% of the world’s GDP. However, the impact of increasing tourism activities on natural and cultural assets, which are the main sources of tourism supply, and on the peoples living in connection with these assets, is generally considered negative. Efforts to eliminate these negative impacts focus on two issues: the benefits of tourism to the economic and social lives of local people, and minimizing the damage caused by tourism to natural and cultural assets. In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly approved the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and, in connection with this, the Sustainable Development Goals that states, the private sector, and NGOs can refer to. Mustafapaşa’s Meeting Sustainable Development Goals: The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with its “World’s Best Tourism Villages” program launched in May 2021, aims to identify tourism villages around the world that adopt innovative approaches to tourism in rural areas and are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. Within this scope, candidates are evaluated based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Mustafapaşa Village is ahead of all its competitors by meeting nine of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.The list of goals met by Mustafapaşa has been published on the UNWTO website.
The goal is to increase access to services, protect the vulnerable, and eliminate all forms of poverty.
With its natural and cultural tourism resources and the tourism businesses that have developed around these resources, Mustafapaşa provides a regular source of livelihood for its local people. Cappadocia University, which is headquartered in Mustafapaşa, gives priority to its citizens in employment.
The goal is for everyone to have access to general health services, safe vaccines and medicines
Mustafapaşa is part of the national health network. The village health center, with its family doctor, serves both the villagers and university students. There is also a pharmacy in the village.
The goal is to ensure that everyone has access to quality and affordable education (including vocational training and higher education) regardless of gender and income differences.
Kapadokya University’s main campus is located in Mustafapaşa Village. Specializing in vocational training, the University meets the lifelong learning needs of the region with its training programs in entrepreneurship, hot air ballooning, gastronomy and culinary arts, tourist guiding, and personal development. The University also provides scholarship opportunities to students from the region.
The goal is to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls
In Mustafapaşa, women and girls are an important part of community life. Cappadocia University is against all forms of discrimination against women and girls. Half of the university’s students and 52% of its staff are women. Women hold high-level positions.
The goal is to provide everyone with access to clean drinking water and to promote water efficiency
The water resources of Mustafapaşa Village are sufficient to meet the needs of the local people and the University. The village also has a thermal hot spring, and studies are ongoing to utilize the spring for tourism purposes.
The goal is to achieve sustainable economic growth, high productivity levels and technological development; to encourage entrepreneurship and job opportunities, to ensure full and productive employment, and to eliminate slavery and human trafficking.
Rural tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry are the main economic resources of Mustafapaşa. Mustafapaşa has numerous natural and cultural assets that contribute to tourism and it protects these assets. The history of the village’s cultural assets dates back to the 9th century. There are artifacts from the Medieval (Byzantine) and Ottoman periods in the village.
Among these works, the Church of Constantine Helena, the Monastery of St. Nicholas, the Church of St. Basil, and the Mehmet Şakir Pasha Madrasa stand out. Mustafapaşa has approximately 200 registered stone mansions under protection. The village also hosts the Cappadocia Art and History Museum. Thermal water investments, the Monastery Valley Open Air Museum, the Gomeda and Beyderesi Valley Arrangements, the Geopark Project, and the Signage Project are being carried out in accordance with conservation principles. Mustafapaşa’s tourism resources are at a level that will ensure sustainable economic growth and provide employment for the local population. With the establishment of the main campus of Cappadocia University here, job opportunities related to the University have also developed. The University prioritizes employment for the people of Mustafapaşa and improves the competencies of its personnel through in-service training.
The goal is to plan and manage the urban development of cities in a way that provides safe housing for everyone, regardless of income level, facilitates public transportation, and offers green spaces.
Mustafapaşa Village is connected to Nevşehir City Center and other tourism centers in the region by road network. There are scheduled bus services between Ürgüp, the nearest center, and Mustafapaşa. The village is within the 4.5G GSM coverage area and is connected to the internet via fiber optic lines. Tourism facilities in the village can provide online banking, reservations, etc., services with the village’s developed internet infrastructure. Mustafapaşa has the infrastructure to serve its visitors with its cafes, restaurants, shops, and accommodation options.
The goal of combating global warming
The protection of the natural and cultural assets of Mustafapaşa Village is guaranteed by the Mustafapaşa Conservation-Oriented Development Plan. Construction outside the plan is not permitted. In addition, Cappadocia University conducts programs related to ecological sustainability; encourages its students to conserve water and energy, works on preventing food waste, shows sensitivity to waste separation; and obtains its electricity from solar energy to reduce its carbon footprint. The university is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and works with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to develop sustainable tourism.
The goal is for institutions, organizations, and governments to cooperate in order to achieve sustainable development.
In line with the goal of ensuring the sustainability of Mustafapaşa’s economic development, the Cappadocia Area Directorate, Cappadocia University, Cappadocia Tourism Infrastructure Services Association, Ahiler Development Agency, Mustafapaşa Village Headman’s Office, and Mustafapaşa Culture, Tourism and Promotion Association are working in cooperation.
