The monthly regular meeting of the Skal Alanya Club was held under the chairmanship of Mehmet Nedanlı. The meeting, held at the Vikingen Infinity Hotel, was attended by Alanya Mayor Adem Murat Yücel, Alanya Association of Tourism Professionals (ALTİD) President Burhan Sili, Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) Alanya Regional Executive Board President Suat Çavuşoğlu, Skal members, and hotel and agency representatives. In his speech, Alanya Mayor Yücel emphasized "acting together."
‘IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF ALANYA'S PRESTIGE’
Stating that he attended the Skal Federation meeting in Fethiye last week, Skal Alanya President Nedanlı said that they have begun preparations to host the ‘National Skal Symposium’ in Alanya in November, alongside the federation meeting. Noting that they will host tourism industry veterans from both Turkey and abroad at this symposium, Nedanlı said, “We will announce the name of Alanya and the features of our facilities to the 22,000 Skal members around the world. The matter will gain clarity at the Çanakkale Skal Club meeting to be held in June. This issue is very important in terms of the prestige and promotion of Alanya.”
‘THERE IS AN INCREASE, EVEN IF IT IS SMALL’
Stating that approximately 7 million of the nearly 13 million tourists arriving in Antalya consist of Germans and Russians, ALTİD President Sili noted that a stagnation is currently present in the Russian market due to reasons such as the ruble's depreciation against the dollar and the new visa reform. Emphasizing that this is not an insurmountable issue if addressed seriously, Sili stated that, provided no extraordinary circumstances arise, they could reach last year's rates in both markets in Alanya. Sili added that, in general terms, it might be possible to exceed last year's high levels, even if only by a small margin.
‘LOW INCREASE IS NOT SATISFACTORY’
Stating that the number of 40 thousand beds was included in regional tourism in the Mediterranean basin in 2013, Sili spoke as follows: “An additional 28 thousand beds are coming into service in the Mediterranean basin in 2014. This means that low rates of increase will not satisfy the regional tourism professional.”
‘WE BROUGHT TURKS INTO THE TOP 2 IN THEIR REGION’
Former Türkler Mayor Hayri Çavuşoğlu, stating that when he first took office 10 years ago they were ranked second to last in Alanya in terms of bed capacity, and that by the time he left the office of mayor this year, they had moved the region to second place, said, “We started our term by building infrastructure and roads. Tourism is teamwork. We have achieved great success in this field.”
‘THERE ARE SANCTIONS ON ILLEGAL AGENCY ACTIVITIES’
At the meeting, TÜRSAB Alanya BYK President Çavuşoğlu, stating that there are sanctions regarding illegal agencies that amount to closure, also expressed that they will always stand against such activities that steal the share of companies operating honestly.
‘WE MUST MAKE DECISIONS TOGETHER’
Finally speaking, Alanya Mayor Yücel recorded the following: We want you, our esteemed tourism professional friends in this occupational group, to produce projects. You possess experience in the field of tourism. We must take the decisions to be made together in line with specific objectives.