Italic
Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD) drew attention to the importance of event tourism within the scope of the city's tourism vision. ALTİD President Cem Özcan stated that a regular and planned event calendar would increase Alanya's brand value and play a key role in extending the season.
Emphasizing that the prepared event calendar has been planned and announced in such a comprehensive manner for the first time at a city scale in Türkiye, Özcan stated that the calendar would provide a direct contribution not only to the accommodation sector but to the entire city economy. Özcan said, “Event tourism offers a multi-faceted structure that simultaneously brings dynamism to the fields of tradesmen, transportation, gastronomy, culture-arts, and sports. Especially the sports organizations, cultural festivals, gastronomy events, and international meetings to be held during the off-season periods will provide a high-quality visitor flow to Alanya.”
Positive Impact Expected in Target Markets
ALTİD President Cem Özcan stated that the prepared event calendar would find a strong resonance in the European, Scandinavian, Russia-CIS, and Far East markets. Özcan noted that there is intense interest in marathons, cycling, and sports-based organizations in the European market, while gastronomy and family-oriented events stand out in the Scandinavian market. Emphasizing that large concerts and sports events create a strong attraction in Russia and CIS countries, Özcan expressed that congress and meeting tourism (MICE) carries significant growth potential in the Far East market. He also noted that planning promotional activities for these markets in an integrated manner with the event calendar would significantly increase Alanya's international visibility.
World Examples Provide Guidance
ALTİD President Cem Özcan stated that cities achieving success in the field of event tourism serve as an important source of inspiration for Alanya. Özcan expressed that the Mobile World Congress (MWC) held in Barcelona provides a significant economic contribution by attracting hundreds of thousands of professionals to the city every year; that the Rio Carnival transforms the cultural heritage of cities into a global brand value; and that Dubai Expo and international sporting organizations play a major role in opening up to new markets. Furthermore, noting that the sports camps held in Antalya increase tourism activity during the winter period, Özcan stated that these examples present an important roadmap for Alanya's event tourism vision.
“Event Tourism is Alanya’s Strategic Lever”
Özcan completed his assessment with the following words: “Alanya creating a strong events calendar will increase our city's competitiveness in tourism and play a critical role in extending the season. Properly planned events will raise our brand value, enable us to open up to new markets, and provide sustainable contributions to all stakeholders of the local economy.”