The Ramadan festivities, held annually under the name Festi Ramazan in the city of Dortmund, Germany, opened their doors on Saturday. During the first days of the festival, where the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV) also set up a promotion tent, Alanya was represented by ALTAV Vice President Mehmet Dahaoğlu and Board Member Gürol Birgen. Making a statement regarding the festival, during which Alanya will be promoted throughout Ramadan, Dahaoğlu noted the following:
“HIGH PARTICIPATION FROM TÜRKİYE”
Alanya, participating in 30 international fairs and promotional events this year as ALTAV, has undertaken a significant project aimed at Turks living abroad. In the event, which is being held for the 5th time this year, food and beverage offerings and shopping options are being provided in tents that will remain open for one month. Additionally, it is observed that many real estate and hotel representatives from Turkey are also participating.
“ALANYA HOLIDAY WILL BE GIFTED”
The festival, which features only Alanya and Hatay as regional promotions, begins at 18:00 and continues until 02:00 on weekdays and until 03:00 on weekends. In addition to musical performances such as the Mehteran band, Keloğlan, and Arap Bacı, a different organization is held every evening. Promotional materials distributed at the Alanya stand are attracting great interest. Furthermore, we will gift an Alanya holiday at the end of the festival to those who take photos with the Alanya frame at our stand and share them on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, receiving the most likes.
“GERMANS ARE CONCERNED”
Last year, 700,000 people attended the festival, which is visited by 20,000-25,000 people daily from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, the majority of whom are expatriates and foreign guests, and 800,000 participants are expected this year. In the meetings we held with German citizens, it is observed that their concerns regarding security continue. The visitors, stating that Turkey is indispensable but that they do not wish to choose it this year, indicated that they would like to return to Turkey and Alanya in future years, provided that no incidents occur.
“EXPATS ARE COMING”
In contrast, our expatriate citizens state that they know Alanya closely, and we see that they have made reservations for after the holiday due to hotel prices being economical this year. Our goal is to attract more of our expatriate guests to our region. With the promise of support for ALTAV given by our Metropolitan Mayor Menderes Türel, whom we previously visited, we are also promoting Expo Antalya with broader product and material support.
“WE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RELIGION, LANGUAGE, OR RACE”
Ergün Özkara, the Chairman of the Board of Festi Ramazan, whom we met with, stated that this organization, which is the world's largest culture and Ramadan festival, is established over an area of 65 thousand square meters, features indoor and outdoor areas with 180 participants along with 40 different types of gastronomy, includes programs held with a 20-person theater troupe from Ankara, and operates under the slogan “Where are those old Ramadans.” Stating that they embrace everyone regardless of religion, language, or race, Ergün expressed that they aim to be Turkey's gateway to Europe, noting that 70 percent of their guests are Turkish, 20 percent are German, and about 10 percent are citizens of other countries.