Alanya was promoted at the tourism fair held in Slovakia's capital, Bratislava. Cengiz Topçu, a Member of the Board of the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV), represented Alanya. Sharing his meetings and impressions from the ITF Slovakia Tour, Topçu stated the following:
“MOROCCO, TUNISIA, AND BRAZIL ARE ON THE OFFENSIVE”
On the first day of the fair, our Ambassador Aslıgül Üğdül and her deputy Cüneyt Yavuzcan visited our stand. The fair, established across an area of 17 thousand square meters, featured 22 countries and 350 participants. The number of visitors was around 70 thousand. Looking at the participants, the market leaders were not present at the fair. Instead of markets that are our competitors, such as Spain, Greece, and Bulgaria, countries like Morocco, Tunisia, and Brazil attempted to come to the fore. The most striking aspect here was the high level of interest in the fair from Slovakia's neighboring countries. The participants of the Ministry stand consisted of Manavgat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Algeria Hotel, Orex, Calista, Turkish Airlines (THY), and Amelia Hotel.
“ALANYA FILLED THE GAP”
I have received feedback from participants suggesting that the fair gives a calmer impression compared to previous years. The most striking development here is the absence of tour operators, with the exception of Orex and Hechter. It appears that the boycott, which was also present in other years, is continuing due to disputes regarding booth rentals. Although some operators participated indirectly through other booths last year, they have preferred not to participate in the fair this year, even indirectly. This situation is also having a negative impact. For this reason, I am of the opinion that it is beneficial for us to be present as Alanya in terms of filling the void at the fair.
“IT IS POSSIBLE TO REACH 2016 FIGURES”
Unfortunately, the weather conditions experienced in Europe are also prevailing here. Those planning their holidays are approaching Spain and Greece as alternatives with hesitation due to high prices, and they are still keeping the Turkey alternative warm. There is a strong belief that if the situation in the country remains calm for a while, demand will increase. It is possible to catch the figures of 2016. There is a segment that is insistent on Turkey. The number of arrivals last year was 41,900. The goal for this year is to be able to exceed these figures, even if only slightly. This seems possible because a 62 percent decrease had already occurred from 2015 to 2016. THY starting direct flights from Istanbul to Kösice can be considered a positive step. It is important in terms of both creating such demand and increasing awareness.
“THE IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IS HIGH”
We invited several members of the press whom we had the opportunity to meet and stated that we could assist them in all matters. We are in communication with these individuals. They draw attention to the importance of social media. Posts made from our region find more resonance, especially in countries that could be considered small like these. For this reason, we need to use social media rigorously.