Elvan Güneş, Board Member of the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV) and Secretary General of the Alanya Tourist Operators Association (ALTİD), represented Alanya at the 50+ Jaarbeurs Fair, held for the 24th time in the city of Utrecht, Netherlands. Gauging the pulse of the Dutch market, which has a population of approximately 17 million, regarding senior tourism, Güneş shared her contacts and impressions as follows:
“THE AWARD WE RECEIVED HAS CONTRIBUTED TO OUR IMAGE”
As the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in the Ministry stand at the ‘50+ Jaarbeurs Tourism Fair’, which we attended for the 6th time, only Alanya was present from Türkiye. Throughout the fair, we displayed the “Best Holiday City” award that we received from the Netherlands' most popular holiday site Reisgraag. This award became the pride of Türkiye and made a great contribution to our work in terms of image.
“AVERAGE AGE OF VISITORS: 62”
Stands were opened at the fair covering fashion and beauty, hobbies, health, social needs, domestic and international travel with financial solutions, and domestic and international summer homes and camping. Looking at the national participation, countries such as Spain, Bulgaria, Norway, Portugal, Southern Cyprus, Greece, Belgium, Malaysia, Suriname, Tunisia, Dominican Republic, Canada, Croatia, Malta, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom participated alongside Turkey. In the promotion of Spain specifically, some regions participated with special stands. This fair is shown as the most comprehensive event in its field in the world. The fair, being organized for the 24th time, was set up in a 50,000 square meter area and has a visitor count of over 100,000. In 2015, 96,881 people visited. Participation was provided with 565 stands. The average age of visitors is 62, and they spend an average of 5 and a half hours per person at the fair.
“SECURITY CONCERNS CAUSED A DECLINE”
The dense age range of the Netherlands, which has a population of approximately 17 million, is between 40-70 years old. Alanya's 300 days of sunshine provides the advantage of being a preferred destination for the Dutch. However, due to security and political reasons, we experienced a sharp decline in this market in 2016. Because of incorrect and exaggerated news reports by the press, a perception emerged that Turkey could enter a war at any moment. There were visitors who chose the Alanya and Antalya regions for their holidays. Or, visitors who were afraid this year and went to other countries came and shared their experiences with us. They stated that they could not receive the same service in other countries and that they would definitely prefer Turkey once a secure environment is established next year.
“MOST FAIR VISITORS ARE RETIREES”
At the same time, we encountered intense visitor interest at this fair, in which many sectors participated. While 120 thousand visitors attended the tourism fair held in January over 6 days, more than 100 thousand visitors attended 50+ Jaarbeurs. The fact that the majority of participants are retirees increases the strategic value of the fair even further. In other words, this fair appeals to a demographic that always has plenty of time to go on holiday during the spring and winter periods.
“THERE IS NO AGENCY SELLING OUT TURKEY”
There are agencies preparing holiday packages for groups ranging from 10 to 40 people, specifically for the age group over 50. Spain, Portugal, England, Greece, Germany, Belgium, and France. Unfortunately, Turkey is not among them. In the meetings I have conducted, they stated that they are not considering including Turkey in their programs at this stage. As ALTAV, it is not enough for us to just be there. Our agencies must also get in touch with other agencies that carry out such organizations, and sales for Turkey must be ensured. We say “sustainable tourism,” we want tourism to continue for 12 months, and for this to happen, we must prioritize these types of target audiences.
“THERE WILL BE NO FEE REQUEST FOR THE BOOTH”
The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism participated in the fair with a 30-square-meter area. Spain was present with its hotels and agencies in a 100-square-meter area. In the meeting we held with our Counselor Neşe Kıvılcım, she stated, “We are making announcements, but there are no requests for participation. Therefore, we do not see the need for a larger area. For the first time, such a request has come from Alanya, and additionally, we thank you for your participation.” I especially recommend that hotels that are open during the winter participate in this fair. Ms. Kıvılcım also mentioned that they would not request any fee for the stand. Fairs with similar content are also organized in different countries. The 50+ beurs in Belgium, Salon des Seniors in France, The 50+ Show in the United Kingdom, Vivir 50 Plus in Spain, and Die-66 in Germany cater to the age group over 50. I believe that if we aim to extend tourism to 12 months, we must evaluate these opportunities well. I wish a bright future for my beautiful country, where trust and peace are established.