Görkem Kurşunlu Karakuş has been a government officer for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye for almost 20 years. During her tenure, she has worked in different departments to promote and develop Turkey’s tourism industry. After completing her university degree, Görkem pursued post-graduate studies at the University of Leicester in the UK, focusing on preserving natural and cultural heritage and tourism policies in the European Union. She then worked as the Director of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Counselor’s Office in Washington DC, USA.
Currently, Görkem serves as the Chief Inspector of the Ministry and has been actively involved in sustainable tourism policies since 2019. As a Project Coordinator, she worked on the “2023 Türkiye Tourism Master Plan” and participated in the studies conducted by the Ministry of Strategic Tourism Planning and Türkiye’s National Sustainable Tourism Program with GSTC. She has also conducted studies on competitiveness and sustainability in tourism with international organizations such as the World Economic Forum and UNWTO. Between 2021-2023, she worked as a Project Fellow for the World Economic Forum, contributing to the White Paper “Driving Türkiye’s Travel and Tourism Development” published by WEF. Currently, she is working with the authorities of the Türkiye Tourism and Promotion Agency (TGA) to implement sustainable tourism policies and destination management to promote Türkiye as a sustainable brand in the tourism industry.
