"While promoting those cultural assets, the ultimate aim should not only be to attract more visitors but also to improve the quality of tourism in Turkey," to generate higher tourism income, he stressed.
Last year foreign visitors to Turkey spent around $600 per capita.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced 2020 as the year of Patara in a bid to promote and draw more attention to the ancient city.
"I hope the year of Patara will be good for our country and the tourism sector," said Erdoğan.
Patara was home to one of the world's first democratic parliamentary systems and was also a hub for ancient Egyptian traders.
With its 6,000-year-old heritage, the region is also well known for the remains of the Lycian parliament building and its lighthouse, possibly the world's oldest, as well as its tranquil beaches.
