Mehmet Dahaoğlu, Vice President of the Alanya Tourist Operators Association (ALTİD) and Board Member of the Alanya Promotion Foundation (ALTAV), reported from the 15th Kazakhstan International Tourism Fair (KITF). Dahaoğlu shared his impressions regarding the fair held in Almaty between April 22-24 as follows:
“85 PERCENT OF ENTRIES TO TURKEY ARE PACKAGE TOURS”
ALTAV is participating in the fair last year and this year. Alanya is one of 16 participants at the Ministry's 212-square-meter stand. Our tourism counselor loves Alanya and says that it needs to be promoted more. They state that they evaluate these efforts through fairs, advertisements, and press events. Last year, 438 thousand people came to Türkiye, and 70 percent of them were package tour passengers. Antalya and the Belek region are at the top of the preferences. Those with high income levels, in particular, prefer these regions. Alanya is a destination that is just beginning to be discovered by Kazakhs. The total population of Kazakhstan is around 17 million.
“A NEW ERA ALONG WITH BANKRUPTCY”
In 2015, it is aimed that 500 thousand vacationers will stay in Türkiye with a 10 percent increase. Tez Tour, one of the region's major large tour operators, brought around 30 thousand passengers last year. Immediately following them, Travelsystem and Trek Travel arrive with the same numbers. A contraction in the market occurred with the bankruptcy of Gülnar Tour, the largest in the region, last year. However, the subsequent entry of Anex and Pegas companies into the market is pleasing hoteliers, as it has started a new era.
“CROWDEDNESS OCCURRED”
5 thousand people visited the fairground last year, and with the increase in the number of visitors coming from other cities this year, it is projected to reach the figure of 7 thousand. The congestion experienced, especially on the first day, continued until the evening hours. Additionally, the visitor profile, who consciously examine not only promotional products but also catalogs and brochures, is noteworthy.
“DUBAI IS FOLLOWING TURKEY”
The presidential election is on April 26, and people are a bit uneasy. There has not been a major devaluation here, but they are in anticipation of the post-election period. Meanwhile, Almaty Consul General Suphi Atan and former Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Abdurrahman Arıcı chatted with participants by visiting the stands one by one. Turkey is an important country for the people here and, in this sense, ranks 1st as a holiday destination. Dubai follows immediately after Turkey.
“A REAL ESTATE FAIR IS ALSO BEING HELD ON THE SAME DATES”
Additionally, a real estate fair is being held on the same dates as this fair, with about 20 companies from Turkey showcasing their presence. The number of people coming from Kazakhstan for housing investment has been increasing recently. From Alanya, only Azura Deluxe and Adenya hotels are conducting promotions at their own stands. Utopia World, MC Hotels, Eftalia Hotels, and Lonicera Otel are conducting promotions under the umbrella of the tour operators they work with.
“FLIGHT PERMITS ARE NOT BEING GRANTED”
Nurettin Aytemur, General Manager of Pegas Touristik, which entered the market last year in July, stated with regret that they were only able to bring in passengers for one month and transported 12 thousand people during that period, and that they could not increase this number due to flight permits not being granted. Turkish Airlines, Air Astana, Pegasus, and Atlasjet are the scheduled airlines flying here. The biggest problem here is that charter flights are not permitted, and because of this, the scope of agency operations is narrowing significantly.