The opening ceremony of Tourism Week celebrations was held in Alanya. Burhan Sili, Chairman of the Alanya Tourism Operators Association, said, "We have taken our place among the world's most established and ambitious tourism countries. This year, we aim to host a record-breaking 50 million tourists in our country."
Tourism Week was also celebrated in Alanya. The celebrations, which began in front of the Atatürk Monument in Government Square, started with a parade of safari vehicles. The event was attended by Adem Murat Yücel, Chairman of Alanya Municipality and the Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation (ALTAV); Burhan Sili, Chairman of the Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD); Bilal Korkmaz, Chairman of the TÜRSAB Alanya Regional Representatives Committee (BTK); Şinasi Karanlıkoğlu, Chairman of the Mediterranean Professional Chefs Association (AKPAB); representatives from various public institutions and organizations, citizens, and tourists.
"We started in tourism in the 1960s."
Burhan Sili, the President of the Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD) and a Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), stated in his speech that Alanya has been involved in tourism since the 1960s and is one of the world's leading tourism destinations. Sili, noting that reservation data indicates that the 2019 tourism season will be successful, said, "The tourism sector has become an indispensable element for our country's economy. In 2018, we reached 40 million tourists as a country. This year, we anticipate reaching 50 million. As of 2023, we are targeting 70 million tourists and 70 billion dollars in tourism revenue."
"TOURISM IS A BEACON OF CULTURE."
Korkmaz, the Chairman of TÜRSAB Alanya BTK, stated, "Tourism is a beacon of culture. Tourists carry this beacon of tourism to every corner of the world, promoting brotherhood, friendship, and peace." Şinasi Karanlıkoğlu, the Chairman of AKPAB, also said, "Our ancestors have produced very important works in every field of culture, from architecture and music to visual arts and literature. One of these is Turkish cuisine." The celebrations continued with folk dances, an art exhibition, and the serving of food prepared by ALTİD and AKPAB.