The Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD) held its season opening cocktail party at the Lonicera Hotel. The event was attended by Alanya District Governor Mustafa Harputlu, Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, politicians, representatives of institutions, and tourism professionals. Due to the high turnout, some parliamentary candidates and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, who were unable to attend the program, sent telegrams expressing their best wishes for a successful season. A nostalgic video showcasing ALTİD's history from its establishment in 1985 to the present day brought about emotional moments. Plaques were awarded to tour operators and travel agency representatives who made it possible to operate flights to Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP). "MORE THAN 1 BILLION PEOPLE TRAVEL EACH YEAR" Burhan Sili, Chairman of ALTİD and Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), who gave the opening speech at the cocktail party, stated that the country reached 38 million tourists in 2014, this number decreased to 34 million in 2015, and to 26 million in 2016. Continuing his speech with statistical data, Sili said, "Last year, we reached 30 million with the resumption of growth. Our target for 2018 is 36 million tourists. The Ministry's targets for 2023 include reaching 50 million tourists. Globally, the number of people traveling each year is 1.2 billion, and this number is projected to increase to 1.8 billion by 2030." "2018 TARGET: EXCEEDING 12 MILLION" When considering Antalya specifically, the number of tourists was 12 million in 2014, 11.8 million in 2015, 6.5 million in 2016, and reached 10 million with a significant recovery in 2017. Our target for this year is to exceed 12 million. "THE BALANCE CAN SHIFT INSTANTLY" Turkish tourism has undergone a transformation. In the recent period, we have seen that the balance of source markets can shift instantly, and we have ensured that the domestic market has a greater share in the sector. We have increased market and tourism diversity and diversified promotion models. "WORKSHOP TO BE HELD" A workshop organized under the patronage of our District Governor, Mustafa Harputlu, and involving all stakeholders in the city, will be held in the coming days. The results of the workshop will address the problems of Alanya, propose solutions, identify what should and should not be done, and a final report will be declared to the public. This work will also shed light on where Alanya will be in the short, medium, and long term. "ALANYA HAS SUCCEEDED IN BECOMING A BRAND" District Governor Harputlu also said, "When people hear the word 'tourism,' Alanya is the first place that comes to mind, and here, tourists are perceived as guests, not customers. It is not easy to become a brand in this sector. Alanya has achieved this. With the Tourism Coordination Council that we have established, we are starting to work on important projects with the veterans of Turkey's oldest tourism region. By highlighting our strengths and weaknesses, we will work together to advance our position in tourism from the current level. May this new season be auspicious for Alanya."