As in every year, the Tourism Week and Chefs' Day activities, celebrated between April 15-22, began at the Atatürk Monument in Alanya Government Square. Within the framework of the celebrations, which are being held for the 40th time this year, starting with the presentation of a wreath to the Atatürk Monument and continuing with a moment of silence and the singing of the National Anthem, speeches were delivered. Tourism professionals attended the event along with Alanya District Governor Hasan Tanrıseven, Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, Alanya Association of Tourism Professionals (ALTİD) Vice President Hızır Bozdoğan, Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) Alanya Regional Executive Board (BYK) President Suat Çavuşoğlu, unit heads, and representatives of chambers and associations.
“WE WILL WORK FOR GASTRONOMY”
Baki Budak, President of the Mediterranean Professional Chefs Association (AKPAB), who delivered the opening speech of the program, said, "Together with our institutions, our schools, and our universities, we are celebrating this week which is very special for us. We exist for Alanya, and for Türkiye. We will do our best to be the best in the fields of guest satisfaction and gastronomy."
“ALANYA IS A PIONEER IN TOURISM”
ALTİD Vice President Hızır Bozdoğan also spoke, saying, "Alanya is a city of great importance in tourism and a pioneer of tourism in Türkiye due to its residential centers and tourism areas being intertwined. Alanya is a city that has become a brand worldwide with the historical and natural beauties it possesses."
“WE ATTRACTED 34 MILLION TOURISTS”
TÜRSAB Alanya Regional Board President Suat Çavuşoğlu stated, "As a country, we attracted 34 million tourists last year and our goal is for this figure to increase even further. Tourism does not consist only of sea, sand, and sun. It includes many more areas such as culture, cruise, nature, health, and sports. We must attach importance to alternative areas."
“PLEASE TREAT TOURISTS WELL”
Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, who is also the President of the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV), stated, "I am calling out to everyone, especially our tradespeople; let us please treat our guests who come here well and prioritize local promotion. They are our voluntary tourism ambassadors; let us protect them."
“THERE IS NO ROOM FOR PESSIMISM”
Alanya District Governor Hasan Tanrıseven, on the other hand, stated, "Today, we are saying 'Hello' to the tourism season all together. Despite all the negatives, we look toward tourism with hope. Alanya, which hosts one out of every nine tourists coming to Türkiye, is making many developments in the field of tourism. It provides activities in areas such as health and sports and is increasing its share every passing day. As Alanya, if we welcome and bid farewell to tourists with tolerance, we will gain more through proper promotion. There can be no better promotional tool than a tourist who leaves here satisfied."
EVENTS CONTINUE
The Local and Regional Legume Dish Competition, held at the Alanya Cultural Center as part of the events, also drew great interest from both participants and spectators. The program will resume on Saturday, April 16, with a bicycle ride starting from in front of Damlataş Cave at 10:00. The Alanya-Kestel-Alanya route will be traversed by bicycles. On Sunday, April 17, jeeps will depart from the same point at 09:00 for the trekking point, from where the 7-kilometer route covering the Leartes Ancient City and the Cebelireis paragliding point will be walked.