Although the beginning and end of the 2014 summer season presented a difficult process, it was not a bad season despite all the negatives due to the increase in the number of arriving tourists. Regarding the 2015 season, considering the negative signals received from the Russian market at the end of the 2014 summer season and the initial impressions regarding the UK and European markets obtained at WTM, it does not seem possible for us to say, “It will be a very easy season.” As for the winter season that began as of November, I hope that the increase seen in pre-bookings compared to previous years does not reach a stable state or a point of decline. The winter season is a difficult period for the accommodation sector and resort facilities. An enterprise remaining closed for a period of 5 months or more is a negative situation both from the perspective of the facility/investor and in terms of tourism and therefore the national economy. During this process, employment contracts for a significant proportion of personnel are first suspended, which, when evaluated in terms of the qualified workforce in the sector, continues to create serious problems both for the employees and for the sector. For employees, this also brings about a desire not to work in this sector or to change sectors. Out of the 582 ministry-licensed and municipality-licensed facilities located in our region, 55 are open in winter, making the rate 9 percent. (Out of 302 ministry-licensed facilities, 40 remain open, making the rate 13 percent)
During the period when our facilities are closed, a void prevails in our city, along with a sense of complacency among tradesmen and even a general stagnation resulting from their inevitable adaptation to this situation.
Preparation works for the next season and sectoral training activities are continuing at our facilities that are currently closed. In addition to renovation works, activities/investments aimed at increasing customer satisfaction are also being carried out during this period.
In our facilities that remain open, our general objective is as follows; if we had closed, we would have set aside the personnel costs of the staff we would continue to employ within our organization, our fixed expenses, and the budget we would spend on renovation and increasing customer satisfaction—meaning, accepting that we would spend this budget anyway—and we look at whether we can cover our additional operational costs. This means that from the moment we decide to keep them open, we primarily continue to employ almost all of our existing staff, and the question of whether we can cover our additional costs arising from operations (taking into account the period we were closed), such as additional personnel, electricity, food and beverage, energy, etc., becomes important. If we can achieve this, it means we are successful in the winter season. Furthermore, keeping our staff in continuous employment provides us with an advantage in terms of qualified personnel, which is a significant advantage in today's conditions. To put it briefly, keeping our facilities open in winter is important primarily in terms of creating a sense of belonging among our staff, resolving our difficulties in finding qualified personnel, and, of course, reducing the rate and duration of wear and tear by ensuring the continuous inspection of our facilities. There is no expectation of further profit here.
Investments planned in our region are extremely important for our facilities to remain open during the winter period. Additionally, whether we are open or closed during the winter period, efforts to ensure the training of personnel and managers and to keep them informed of sectoral innovations and developments are also important. In this context, I express my belief that all facility owners and managers, primarily the non-governmental organizations related to the subject located in our region, must demonstrate a collective effort, and I wish you good days with the hope that all seasons from 2015 onwards will pass positively and that a tourism movement continuing throughout the entire year will be realized in a short time.