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Two rural neighborhoods in Kayseri's Yahyali district, home to the Kapuzbasi Waterfalls, have built a tourism-driven economy in an area where farmland is scarce.
Residents of Kapuzbasi and Buyukcakir neighborhoods, which lend their name to the group of waterfalls fed by the glaciers of the Aladaglar Mountains, have turned to sectors such as hotel management and restaurants in the mountainous region.
Located around 150 kilometers (93.2 miles) from the city center, entrepreneurs in the two neighborhoods host visitors from within Türkiye and abroad in hotels, guesthouses and bungalows.
Residents, unwilling to leave their ancestral lands despite their limited suitability for farming, are working to sustain themselves through tourism.
Yahyali Mayor Esat Ozturk said that tourism is highly important for the district and that they expect an increase in visitors this year. "We get visitors from all 81 provinces of Türkiye, as well as from abroad," he said, adding that the district has gained significant momentum in tourism.
Ozturk noted that with around 1.5 million visits annually, local residents have turned this into an opportunity, with around 30 guesthouses and 15 restaurants now operating in the region.
He added that visitors can taste dishes cooked by residents, recommending the region's trout, grilled dishes and a local specialty called bezdirme, and said residents also take trekking visitors on mule tours, which contributes to the local economy.
"The geography here is quite rugged; we have areas ranging from 3,600 meters (11,811 feet) to 630 meters in altitude," he said, adding that while residents work in construction during winter, they turn to tourism services once summer arrives.
Ahmet Apaydin, who runs a hotel, said he enjoys working in tourism on the land where he was born and raised, noting that they turned to tourism because the land is not well-suited for farming.
"We started this business in 2013. The conditions here are set, and opportunities are limited," he said, adding that they operate with 14 rooms and offer breakfast and dinner.
Apaydin recalled seeing visitors come to the area since his childhood, when they used to set up tents rather than stay in built accommodations. "Now there are facilities, and there are roughly 300 beds in the region altogether," he said, noting that he works alongside his family and brings in young people from the village depending on how busy it gets.
Mehmet Mil, who runs a guesthouse in the region, said they serve tourists as a family business and that visitor numbers have increased significantly in recent years.
"This place became well known after 1994; before that, nobody knew about it," he said, recalling that the area used to be used only for growing beans before residents turned to tourism.
"We turned to tourism, and we are satisfied. You can't do anything else because you're in the middle of a canyon," he said, adding that the waterfalls add great value to the region.
Ali Basturk said the region has a unique landscape and noted that farmland is scarce, water sources are plentiful, and livestock farming is weak. "That's why tourism is active in this region. People come here because of the climate, the air and the cleanliness," he said.
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