The magnificent cocktail, which saw high participation, was attended by Türkiye Hotelier Federation (TÜROFED) President Osman Ayık, Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, Türkiye Association of Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) Alanya Regional Executive Board (BYK) President Suat Çavuşoğlu, Skal Alanya President Mehmet Nedanlı, Honorary Consul of the Republic of Latvia Nurkan Şaşmaz, Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ALTSO) President Mehmet Şahin, Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport Manager Cengiz Aşıklı, Alanya District Police Chief Mehmet Ömür Saka, Alanya District Gendarmerie Commander Major Alper Çetinkaya, lecturers from universities, association presidents of non-governmental organizations, politicians, touristic hotel operators, and agency representatives.
“100 NEW HOTELS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF INCENTIVES”
Making the opening speech of the cocktail, TÜROFED Board Member and Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD) President Burhan Sili stated that the 2015 season had started with difficulties, and expressed that 100 new hotels with a total capacity of 50,000 beds have been included within the scope of incentives in various regions of Turkey over the next three years. Emphasizing that incentives were received for 22,000 beds in the Antalya region during the first four months of 2015, Sili said, “In the Alanya region, which hosts 30 percent of the tourists coming to Antalya, 4,500 beds are coming into service in 2015. According to this picture, while there is a significant increase in bed capacity, on the other hand, there is an 8 percent decrease in tourist numbers across Turkey in April, and a 0.5 percent increase in the period between January 1 and April 30. In Antalya, there is an 11 percent decrease in the first four months. Moving from these facts, we must now see that ‘this shirt has started to become too tight for us.’ From now on, we have to do different things in different places.”
“WE MUST INVEST IN NEW MARKETS”
Stating that the number of tourists nationwide has reached the 40 million mark, Sili said, “We earn approximately 35 billion dollars from tourism. Tourism, which has reached this point through the significant efforts of the private sector, must reach a different level from today onwards in cooperation between the state and the sector. This unity requires us to act in terms of improving and developing the existing structure, to halt the supply of beds, to increase the capacity of existing markets in the short term, and to invest in new markets in the medium and long term.”
“A BUBBLING CAULDRON SURROUNDING US”
TÜROFED President Ayık, stating that tourism professionals are sellers of dreams, also said, “We sell dreams. The hope of those who sell dreams never ends. We say, ‘If it doesn't happen this year, it will happen next year.’ 2015 will be one of the most difficult years for us. We have seen difficulties in previous years as well, but we have always emerged from these difficulties by growing. While the geography we are in bestows many things upon us, it also brings some troubles along with it. Our surroundings have been like a boiling cauldron for the last few years. For this reason, some of the difficulties we experience arise due to reasons beyond our control. Despite this, we are close enough to say to Spain, our biggest rival in the package tour market share, that ‘We are going head-to-head.’”
“SUPPLY-DEMAND BALANCE MUST BE PROTECTED”
Emphasizing that the loss incurred in the Russian market could be more than compensated for by the Scandinavian and European markets, Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel stated that a loss has been experienced in the Alanya region due to the supply-demand balance, saying, “Whether consciously or unconsciously, a situation has arisen where supply exceeds demand. The supply-demand balance must be maintained in our region.” Mayor Yücel also expressed that they provide significant contributions to tourism through social and cultural activities.