Alanya was promoted at the tourism fair held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Alanya was represented at the fair by Cengiz Topçu, a Member of the Board of Directors of the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV). Sharing his meetings and impressions at Salon Des Vecances, Belgium's most important tourism fair, Topçu stated the following:
“CONSUL GENERAL AT THE ALANYA STAND”
Corendon's participation in the fair as a Turkish brand is considered a great opportunity for us. However, the number of hotels participating from Alanya is lower compared to other regions. This is perceived as the expectations for the region from Belgium not being very high. Yet, we have hotels that host a significant number of guests from this country. Our Consul General Dilşad Kırbaşlı Karaoğlu visited our stand. We discussed the tourism agenda and the necessary actions with her. We invited the members of the press or bloggers we spoke with to our country and explained our work and efforts regarding changing the perception of Türkiye and recapturing the image of a country visited with confidence, as in previous years.
“IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO TURN A PROFIT”
Although there are questions in people's minds regarding travel to Türkiye, there is a decline that could be corrected according to 2016 figures. In light of information received from the main actors of the market during meetings, it is observed that demands are trending in the range of minus 6-8 percent for TUI, minus 34 percent for Neckermann, and minus 10-12 percent for Corendon. Officials express the opinion that, provided no negativity occurs in our country, it will not be difficult to move into a positive position compared to the figures of 2016, which is considered one of the worst seasons.
“SUNDIO WILL FLY FROM EINDHOVEN AND AMSTERDAM”
Sundio officials stated that they will not be flying from Belgium in 2017, that they will operate with only 2 aircraft between the months of June and September, and that they will transport Belgian guests via Eindhoven and Amsterdam with these aircraft. Due to this situation, Corendon will be like the only large operator selling Turkey in Belgium. Therefore, their expectations are also high.
“THE PRICE INCREASES IN GREECE AND SPAIN ARE AN ADVANTAGE FOR TURKEY”
In light of the information received, it is observed that holiday package and hotel prices in Greece and Spain are increasing due to the intensification of demand in these countries. Officials stated that this process will benefit Turkey from now on and that a Turkey advantage will emerge in Belgium for the upcoming season.
“ANTALYA TARGETS 143 THOUSAND BELGIANS”
THY was not present at this fair. African and Far East countries were noteworthy at the fair, where participants from 42 countries took part. It was stated that the number of visitors reached approximately 110 thousand people. Reaching the figure of around 143 thousand Belgians who came to the Antalya region in 2016 is the main goal for 2017. When compared to the current status of last year, this goal appears to be achievable.
“OUR COUNTRY HAS VOLUNTEER AMBASSADORS”
Many Belgian families who visited the Alanya stand insisted that they would come to Turkey and Alanya, stating that they are voluntary ambassadors for our country and have already made their reservations. Alongside this, there were many Belgians who said they were acting cautiously and were in favor of waiting a little longer.