The International Vakantiebeurs Tourism Fair, held in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands, has opened its doors for the 47th time. At the fair, which drew intense interest from Alanya tourism professionals, Alanya was represented by Mehmet Dahaoğlu, Vice President of the Alanya Association of Tourism Professionals (ALTİD) and the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV). ALTİD President and Turkish Hotel Association (TÜROFED) Board Member Burhan Sili also supported Alanya's promotion efforts at the fair. Sharing information in light of his impressions of the fair and the meetings he held, Dahaoğlu stated the following:
“THE LARGEST PARTICIPATION IS FROM TURKEY”
Our Consultancy is participating in the Utrecht Tourism Fair, held between January 10-15, with approximately 50 private businesses and sector organizations in a 750-square-meter area. Together with other institutions and organizations participating independently, the total area representing Türkiye is approximately 1,300 square meters. It is stated that with a participation of this magnitude, Türkiye is the largest participant of the Utrecht Tourism Fair.
“WILL LAST 6 DAYS”
The Utrecht Tourism Fair, which was visited by 121,593 people in 2016, creates a very important promotion opportunity due to being an organization that brings together tourism industry organizations, consumers, tour operators, and travel agencies. During the fair, which will last for a total of 6 days, Maraş Ice Cream treats and shows, Ebru Art applications, and live music performances will be featured at our Counselor's Office stand. Additionally, on the first day of the fair, January 10, between 14:00-16:00, the opening of our stand was held with a reception attended by the Undersecretary of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, Mr. Ömer Arısoy.
“THERE HAS BEEN A DECLINE IN RECENT DAYS”
In our meeting with Atilay Uslu, a partner of Corendon, the largest tour operator in the Netherlands, he stated that they have not revised the figures they planned for 2016 and that they have made plans for the year 2017 with the same targets; he noted that their sales have been going well until this week, but they have experienced a slight decline, especially after the events occurring in Türkiye in recent days, and expressed belief that the situation will improve again as soon as possible. Thomas Cook officials, on the other hand, stated that they have very serious losses in Alanya and Türkiye, and that the season will recover through last-minute sales if no negativity occurs in the coming days. Their current losses are at the 60 percent level. TUI’s reservation figures are also trending around 10 thousand, having declined by 20 percent compared to last year.
“WE INVITED MEMBERS OF THE PRESS”
Press members working for TV channels and producing internet news, who visited the Alanya stand, asked about the terrorist incidents occurring in Türkiye. We explained that these actions are a global problem and specifically emphasized that no such situation is occurring in our region. We stated that we could invite press members who address large audiences to Alanya by covering their expenses. As a result of the meetings held in general terms, in this market of ours, where 40 thousand reservations have been made so far, the number of passengers is trending 25 percent lower compared to last year.