UNESCO's commemorative and celebratory activities influence the development of cultur and religious tourism: 2021 example of Haji Bektash Veli, Ahi Evran Veli and Yunus Emre anniversary year

Culture is a set of rules that create, function and transmit to future generations the lifestyle of civilizations, the understanding of minimal development, life impulses such as self-respect, self-love and leave a lasting impression. Since culture continues to exist as it is experienced and kept alive, the healthy and positive progress of this process is made through friendship, understanding and awareness.People of different cultures, people of different religious beliefs, have come together with the tourist movement, exchange culture and raise awareness, and are contributing economically to the country's religious tourism industry. Cultur and religious tourism is one of the oldest tourist attractions in decades, but the most popular in the world, with only relatively little work. Both forms of tourism are now being developed by UNESCO through Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage. UNESCO commemorates the social, humanistic and natural sciences ground-breaking people under the name Commemoration and Celebration and organizes events for one year. The 750th anniversary of Haji Bektash Veli, the 700th anniversary of Yunus Emre's death, was incorporated into Commemoration and Celebration activities in 2021 by UNESCO Turkey National Commission proposal on the 850th anniversary of the death of Ahi EvranVeli. In parallel, the purpose of this study is to determine the awareness of the people living in Nevsehir, Kırsehir and Eskisehir provinces, where the relevant people live and where their shrines are located, about the Commemoration and Celebration Activities of the Year 2021. The opinions of a total of 45 participants, 15 people for each province in question, on the potential of UNESCO Commemoration and Celebration Activities for cultural and religious tourism and the development of intercultural relations were taken using the interview technique from qualitative research methods. According to the results of the research, it has been determined that the life philosophies of the relevant people included in the UNESCO Commemoration and Celebration Programs in 2021 are not sufficiently understood by the local people, but these people are attractive values in terms of cultural and religious tourism.