ALANYA Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV) participated in the FESPO fair in Zurich, Switzerland, continuing its promotional activities to increase Alanya's share of the tourism market. Yakup Uslu, a member of the Board of Directors, represented ALTAV at the fair. During the fair, which took place from January 24-28, Alanya's cultural, natural, and historical attractions were showcased, and ways to increase tourist flow were explored. The fair, held on an area of 25,000 square meters, was attended by 63,000 visitors this year. ALTAV conducted its promotional activities under the umbrella of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
"THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE SINCE 2014"
Yakup Uslu, who represented ALTAV at the fair, shared his observations: "The largest increase in the Swiss market occurred in 2014. 394,458 Swiss citizens vacationed in our country. This number decreased to 215,194 in 2016, which means a 50% decrease in the market. As of December 2017, 196,360 Swiss citizens vacationed in our country. The years 2016 and 2017 were almost equal.
"INCREASED NUMBERS REACHED 160%"
The Antalya region received 183,313 tourists from Switzerland in 2014, but this number decreased by 50% in 2016. The increase in the market began in July 2017. The increases were 5.87% in July, 9.18% in August, 20% in September, 1.6% in October, and 19.23% in November. This increase continues with an upward trend in 2018. Currently, there has been a 160% increase in early bookings from the Swiss market for Turkey.
"CONTACTS WERE MADE WITH AGENCIES"
At the fair, we made contact with travel agencies and held meetings with local agencies to bring more Swiss tourists to Alanya, and we evaluated the general problems of tourism. We also distributed promotional materials prepared by ALTAV for 4 days. During the fair, the Swiss Ambassador, İlhan Saygılı, visited our stand and received information about Alanya and our activities. We presented him with a gift on behalf of Alanya. On the first day of the fair, we attended an event organized by the Swiss-Turkish Travel Agencies Association in Zurich and had the opportunity to discuss Alanya with all the agencies.
"WE MUST OVERCOME THE PERCEPTION OF INSECURITY"
We explained to the Swiss citizens, who are shifting their vacation plans to other countries due to security concerns, how safe Alanya is as a vacation destination. We also had the opportunity to explain the convenient transportation options provided by Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP)."