A green destination under the shade of olive trees
Enerjisa Energy CEO Murat Pinar
In the time of legends, in the 8th century BC, Homer's visit to the Aegean coast of Anatolia begins like a fairy tale. One day, as he rests under the olive trees, the trees whisper in his ear: "I belong to everyone and to no one; I was here before you came, and I will be here after you leave." This voice echoes like a message from beyond time among the narrow streets of the Northern Aegean, which bears the traces of ancient Greece and the three great empires (Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman), and hosts a rich gastronomic heritage under the shade of olive trees, the stone houses of Ayvalık-Küçükköy and the courtyards decorated with flowers.
When you take your steps in this region, you feel the texture of the past as if you have stepped into a time machine, while at the same time you come face to face with the importance of being a tourist equipped with a sense of responsibility. Responsible tourism reminds us that we need to rethink the way we travel and consider our impact on the places we visit. Tourism plays a critical role in the economic development of our country as a sector that employs millions of people, provides foreign exchange income and supports local businesses. Considering this importance, Sentrum has become an award-winning impact project that promotes the sustainable tourism model by collaborating with local businesses and supporting local communities since 2021.
Along with the growth of the tourism sector, the environmental and social responsibilities of the sector are also growing. In this period of increasing responsibilities, it is vital for states, private companies, civil society organizations and academics to adopt the principle of partnerships for purposes and focus on issues that society and the country care about.
As Enerjisa, while continuing our sustainability-focused studies, we aim to reveal the multiplier effect with approaches that contribute to the development and sustainability of our country, not only in the energy sector, by focusing on issues that the country and the society care about. With a similar understanding, the Sentrum project, under the leadership of Enerjisa and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and with the support of Sabancı University, not only provides solutions to the problems of the tourism sector, but also contributes directly or indirectly to ten of the sustainable development goals.
The steps taken with the Sentrum project, as a modern-day echo of Homer's legendary dialogue, make us aware of both our individual and collective responsibilities. Thus, the narrow streets of Ayvalık-Küçükköy and the cool shadows under the olive trees carry not only the stories of the past, but also a hopeful future that will be passed on to the next generations.
Together with all our stakeholders who contribute to our Sentrum project, we will continue to work for a better future by preserving the natural beauties that were there before we arrived and will be there after us.