Local government conference held in Alanya
The Inter-Municipal Development and Strategic Planning Conference, where studies on European Union grant-funded projects are being prepared, was held at the Alaiye Resort Hotel by Romanian and Turkish representatives.
The conference, attended by municipal, chamber, and association executives from both countries, is a continuation of the meetings held in Greece, Romania, and Bulgaria. Presentations and speeches were also delivered at the conference, which was hosted by Hayri Çavuşoğlu, the Turkey Coordinator of the conference series and the Mayor of Eski Türkler Municipality. Delivering the opening speech, Çavuşoğlu stated, “We started these conferences 9 years ago as the Eski Türkler Municipality and have continued to develop them to this day. I also extend my thanks to Kuddusi Müftüoğlu, who has contributed greatly to the development of our region.”
Then, taking the floor, the President of the Romanian Association of Municipalities, Florian Dudu, stated, “Endless friendships have been established between Romania and Turkey. Mr. Hayri Çavuşoğlu is a very beautiful example and an idol for us with the municipal works he has carried out.”
Antalya Deputy Governor Halil Serdar Cevheroğlu, after stating that the conference was held at the home of Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, spoke as follows: “We want to become a member of the EU in order to reach the necessary standards. Economically, we are at the level of European standards.”
Speaking on behalf of Alanya Municipality, Abdullah Akbaş stated that he has participated in EU projects five times and noted that the primary objective of these projects is the sustainability of international relations. Alanya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ALTSO) President Mehmet Şahin also stated in his speech that the Alanya economy consists of the tourism, agriculture, and construction sectors.
At the end of the speeches, some of the information provided by the Board Member of the Turkish Hotel Association (TÜROFED) and President of the Alanya Tourist Operators Association (ALTİD) Burhan Sili, who delivered a presentation prepared from Alanya statistics with simultaneous Romanian translation, is as follows:
Alanya, which has an 80-kilometer-long coastline and was once a small coastal town, began its tourism journey in the 1950s with home pensions; today, it is a destination that hosts more than 3.5 million visitors from over 40 countries, with a total capacity of 160 thousand beds in hotels, resorts, boutique hotels, and apart hotels.
Alanya accounts for 21 percent of Antalya's and 9 percent of Turkey's certified facility bed capacity. With 3.5 million guests per year, Alanya's share in tourism is 10 percent of the foreign visitors coming to Turkey and approximately 30 percent within Antalya. It has an annual income of 3 million euros.
Approximately 1.2 million people work in various fields of Turkish tourism. 32 percent of accommodation sector employees in Türkiye are employed in Antalya. The ratio of Alanya's contribution to employment within the province is 30 percent.