The Alanya Tourist Operators Association’s 2015 tourism season evaluation and strategy development meeting regarding the current situation was held at the Sun Prime C-Lounge Hotel with heavy participation from accommodation sector representatives. Following the meeting, Burhan Sili, Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Hotel Association (TÜROFED) and President of ALTİD, made a statement to members of the press and said the following:
“PRE-RESERVATIONS IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET HAVE DECLINED COMPARED TO LAST YEAR”
We held a large-scale meeting with our accommodation sector representatives. In light of the recent developments with Russia and their reflections on Antalya and Alanya, we consulted on what we should plan and do during this process. We also conveyed to our members the topics discussed during the meeting held on Saturday with our Minister of Tourism, Mr. Mahir Ünal. In this meeting, we examined what can be turned into opportunities at the point our tourism has reached and what duties fall upon us. It appears that there will be a significant decline in the Russian market in the upcoming season. We do not foresee the market closing entirely. Relations with Russia will certainly settle at a certain point over time. There is also a decline in pre-bookings in the European market. Alongside all of this, as Alanya tourism operators, we have strategically determined our advertising and image studies in Europe, Eastern Europe, the Scandinavian countries, and the Russian market.
“WE HAVE CONDUCTED CRISIS PLANNING”
On the other hand, regarding the promotion of the domestic market, which is indispensable to us, under the leadership of the Alanya Promotion Foundation (ALTAV), we discussed intensifying our efforts in major cities that create potential for our region, such as Gaziantep, Adana, Bursa, Eskişehir, Ankara, and Konya, and establishing relations with large industrial organizations and businesses in these regions to create holiday opportunities for their members and employees. We held discussions on taking cost measures without reducing service and hospitality quality as a precaution against potential decreases in person and income ratios. We examined how we can overcome the crisis we are experiencing on the smallest scale and how we can turn the negative reflections of factors developing outside the sector into opportunities by making plans on how to act should such a situation be encountered again.
“3.5 MILLION RUSSIANS CAME TO ANTALYA IN 2015”
It is not possible to say anything definitive regarding how many of the approximately 3.5 million Russian tourists who came to Antalya last year might return. However, I foresee that we can reach a figure of 2 or 2.5 million next year. We will continue our work in other markets, but it will not be possible to close the Russian market deficit in terms of the number of people in the short term.