The largest international tourism fair in Russia, MITT Moscow, has concluded. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey promoted Turkey in an area of 1,200 square meters, divided into regional sections. In addition to these areas where Alanya was also promoted, the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV) highlighted the region with a specially designed stand of 50 square meters. Mehmet Dahaoğlu, Vice President of ALTAV and the Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD), noted that while the ITB fair held in Berlin, Germany, from March 7-11, attracted more interest and participation, MITT Moscow is also a very important fair for the Russian market due to its wide potential. "After Germany, the increasing trend in Russia is creating satisfaction in these two key markets, which are the driving force of Alanya," he said. Dahaoğlu also stated that Adem Murat Yücel, the Mayor of Alanya and also the President of ALTAV, personally participated in promotional activities and meetings on the first day of the fair. "Our President's direct interaction with tour operators and his support for the sector strengthens our position in bilateral meetings," he said. Gürol Birgen, a member of the ALTAV Board of Directors, also attended the fair with Dahaoğlu.
'Support for GZP will continue.'
Dahaoğlu, who provided information about his meetings at the fair, stated the following: "Vural Karasu, the General Manager of Anex Tour, said that the issues related to the Russian civil aviation permits of their company, Azur Air, are nearing resolution, and that our Minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, is aware of the matter and is following it closely. He also stated that they aim to attract 1 million people from Russia in 2018 and that they will continue to support Gazipaşa Alanya Airport (GZP) and continue flying there."
“Number of Flights to ANTALYA Will Increase.”
During a meeting with Sezgin Özer, the General Manager of Kilit Global, it was stated that their plans for the summer season include bringing a total of 800,000 people to Alanya, with 500,000 for Teztour and 300,000 for Biblo Globus. Additionally, Turkish Airlines (THY) is considering increasing the frequency of its Moscow-Antalya flights by adding two large and two smaller aircraft per week.
'Russian Presidential Election Impacts Reservations.'
Ufuk Menekşe, Contract Manager at TUI, stated that in 2017, they sold vacations to 200,000 people, but their target for 2018 is 350,000. He also mentioned that there is currently a slight decrease in reservations, and they attribute this to the presidential election that will be held nationwide on Sunday.
"It will be Turkey's year."
Özgür Üregen from Need Travel stated that in previous years, they only organized group travel packages, but this year they anticipate that "This is the Year for Turkey" and are therefore starting to offer regular sales for the first time. Their target for the first year is 15,000 people, and they are confident that they can easily reach 30,000 people during the winter months, including group travel packages.
'45% OF GUESTS CHOOSE ALANYA.'
In an interview with Burcu Yörü, Contract Manager at Intourist, another major player in this market, she stated that there is no other destination that Russian tourists consider as an alternative to Turkey. She also mentioned that Alanya hosts 45% of the incoming guests and that while the number of visitors was 496,000 in 2017, the target for 2018 is 700,000, and that they are adjusting the number of airplane seats and bed capacity accordingly.
'SMILES WILL BE ON FACES'
Coral-Odeon Travel, one of the largest companies in the market, did not have a booth at this fair. However, they organized an event to bring together hotel operators and travel agency representatives. Additionally, Atlasjet conducted promotional activities in many halls of the fairground, which was interpreted as an indication that this airline company will increase the number and regions of its flights from Russia to Turkey. Information gathered during the discussions confirmed this, and this development has excited the industry.
ATTENTION FOCUSED ON RED SQUARE
Following the discussions, ALTAV and Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel stated, "It appears that after Anex resolves its aircraft issues and after the Russian presidential election, it will not be difficult for tourism companies to reach the expected figure of 5 million."
