With the initiatives of Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD) President Burhan Sili and Honorary Consul of Latvia Nurkan Şaşmaz, Janis Pinnis, President of the Latvian Hotelier Association, and General Secretary Santa Graikste arrived in Alanya to strengthen bilateral relations and undertake joint activities. The duo visited Alanya District Governor Mustafa Harputlu and Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, respectively, accompanied by President Sili, Consul Şaşmaz, and ALTİD Board Member Kerem Sidar. Finally, the delegation met with ALTİD Board members at a meeting held at Kahya Hotel. “WE WILL NOT WITHHOLD OUR SUPPORT” Hosting his guests in his office, District Governor Harputlu said, “I had previously stayed in Latvia for a short period. They have a people as hospitable as ours. We are ready to provide support for joint activities.” “WE MUST TAKE A LARGER SHARE FROM EVERY COUNTRY” Stating that they attach great importance to foreign non-governmental organizations, Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel said, “We are one of the cities that performs sea, sand, and sun tourism best in the world. Income from tourism enters every household in Alanya. Our city's economy is dependent on tourism. For this reason, as a municipality, we work toward the same goal together with our non-governmental organizations. We will provide the necessary support for the cooperation protocol to be signed between ALTİD and the Latvian Hotelier Association. We will work to take a larger share of the tourism pie from every country, regardless of whether they are small or large.” “WE WILL REDUCE THE QUALIFIED PERSONNEL SHORTAGE” Stating that the primary goal of this visit is to strengthen the friendship and tourism relations between the two countries, ALTİD President and Turkish Hotelers Federation (TÜROFED) Board Member Burhan Sili said, “The second leg of the discussions held here will take place in Riga, the capital of Latvia. We will carry out studies to contribute to tourism education through student projects such as Erasmus and the mutual marketing of hotels, and to reduce the qualified personnel shortage to the lowest level. We will conduct staff and student exchanges. We will sign protocols on these matters. On behalf of my institution, I would like to thank our District Governor Mustafa Harputlu and our Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, who supported us in this process where we act together with our Honorary Consul of Latvia, Mr. Nurkan Şaşmaz. We aim to further strengthen our position in Eastern European countries through fair promotions and such formations.” “WE WILL COMBINE THE STRENGTHS OF THE TWO COUNTRIES” Latvian Hotelier Association President Janis Pinnis spoke regarding the visit as follows: “We have agreed on three main headings to revitalize tourism, which is the fundamental function of the two associations. We will establish protocols on marketing, education, and joint projects. The goal in education will be the training not only of students who serve or will serve tourism but also of the teachers who train students for this sector. Regarding marketing, we realized that both countries have advantages and disadvantages. We will develop joint marketing strategies by combining our strengths. As projects, we will carry out studies on subjects that will add value to the tourism of both countries.”