Alanya was promoted at the International Brussels Tourism Fair, held in Belgium from February 1st to 4th, a country renowned for its diamond trade and chocolates. Cengiz Topçu, a member of the Board of Directors of the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV), represented Alanya at the fair. Topçu, reporting from the fairgrounds, shared his impressions following the meetings he held:
"TOURIST NUMBERS DECREASE BY 50%"
We participated in Belgium's most prestigious fair, which was held for the 60th time and declared the "Year of Thailand," with a 150-square-meter stand featuring 15 participants, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey. In addition to Bodrum and Alanya as destinations, the participants included hotel and yacht companies. Corendon, a Turkish tour operator, was present at the fair as a Turkish brand. Furthermore, major players in the market, such as Tui, Neckermann, and Sunjets, also had a presence at the fair.
Looking at the data from recent years, we observe a rapid decline in this market. In 2014, we hosted 262,000 tourists, followed by 235,000 in 2015, 143,000 in 2016, and 135,000 in 2017.
"QUALITY STANDARDS IN TURKEY ARE UNMATCHED IN OTHER COUNTRIES."
The market, which closed last year with a 7% loss compared to the previous year, shows indicators that suggest a significant recovery this year. In particular, the hesitations that caused the decline in recent years have largely been resolved. Furthermore, guests who have been spending their holidays in other countries in recent years have openly expressed in our bilateral meetings that they cannot find the same standards and prices in those countries.
"POLITICAL AND SECURITY CONCERNS HAVE BEEN LEFT BEHIND."
It is evident that various developments in our region and around the world have diverted attention elsewhere, as indicated by the questions we are receiving, which are significantly different from those asked last year. Unlike last year, when we received many questions about political and security matters, this year we have primarily been answering questions about hotels and destinations, which is a positive development for us.
"The increase compared to 2017 will be 20 percent."
When we spoke with tour operators, they stated that sales this year are several times higher than on the same day last year. They also mentioned that the downward trend seen in the summer of 2018 has ended, and that an increase of at least 20% compared to the previous year is easily achievable. They expressed cautious optimism that this percentage could even be exceeded, given the current conditions and the absence of seat availability issues. They attribute this to factors specific to Belgium.
"BELGIANS OFFERED HOPE"
It is expected that the fair will attract over 100,000 visitors. Our Alanya stand was visited by our Ambassador Zeki Levent Gümrükçü, our Attaché Murat Alıcıgüzel, and our Consul Dilşad Kırbaşlıkaraoğlu, to whom we presented gifts brought from Alanya. They expressed their satisfaction with our work at ALTAV. We provided information about Alanya to those who visited our stand, where we showcased Alanya's promotional materials. Belgium, where we are working to increase the share of tourists visiting both Alanya and the country, offers hope for 2018.