Tag: tourism sector

  • Turkey now a tourism magnet

    Turkey now a tourism magnet

    As the number of Indians picking out Turkey for a vacation climbs, Koray Yalkut, a tourist guide from Turkey announces, “Istanbul is just the appetizer”.

    turkeytourstravelpackagesAs photographs behind Koray Yalkut, a tourist guide from Turkey take you around Hagia Sofia and sights of the kaleidoscopic spice bazaar, he makes an important interjection: “Istanbul is just the appetizer,” he says, before speaking about the landscape, architecture and history of Turkey, which is rapidly becoming a tourist magnet.

    “If you want to see more, you have to come to our country now,” he announces after the teaser of a presentation he made, at the road-show organised by the Turkish Tourism Board along with the Turkish Hoteliers Federation to promote Turkey as a destination for ‘weddings, golf and honeymoons’.

    The number of Indians coming to Turkey is only increasing with the number touching 1,00,000 last year according to Osman Ayik, president, Turkish Hoteliers Federation. “We have one million beds and in 2011, we were the sixth biggest destination in the world in terms of foreign tourist arrivals. Our association has close to 1,600 members who cater to all kinds of budgets,” he says.

    Family destination

    Pearl Veronica Baskar, senior executive (outbound tours), Diana World Travels, one of the travel agent present at the show, observes that families are increasingly choosing to holiday abroad, as the cost of travelling to neighbouring destinations such as Sri Lanka or Bangkok is almost the same. “Turkey has history and entertainment and both families and large groups are opting to travel there. The trend has picked up in the last two years,” she says.

    “We are promoting Turkey as a stand-alone destination because there is so much to see,” says Ozgur Ayturk, culture and tourism counsellor, Turkey. According to him, though 80 percent of tourist arrivals fall in the leisure segment and 20 per cent in the MICE segment (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), he sees huge potential for the growth of Turkey as a wedding, honeymoon and golf destination.

    “Belek has more than 16 golf courses and has also been named the best golf district in Europe,” he says. Having been host to around 15 Indian weddings so far, they are looking at raising the number at least to 50 per year. For this, other than interacting with private tour operators, they are also talking to wedding planners from India. “What sets Turkey apart is that it is still “We also liaison with wedding planners from India.

    Wedding locale

    While Istanbul and Antalya are favourites for weddings, Cappadocia, famous for its balloon rides and cave hotels is popular with those going on a honeymoon,” adds Mr. Ozgur.

    Though Turkish Airlines has daily direct flights from Mumbai and New Delhi, they are seeking permission to double their operations from Delhi and Mumbai and operate from six more destinations including Chennai. Though the months between July-August is the peak season, Turkey with its diverse climate, lends itself to tourism all round the year,” says Mr. Ozgur. And, if tourists have their documents in place, getting a visa should not take more than 24 hours, he says. For those with a valid Schengen visa, the option of getting their visa on arrival also exists, he adds. Looking to promote a long-standing relationship with India, he says that they will be hosting cultural events and film festivals.

    The road-show, saw participation from over 12 hotels and several travels agents and associations in the city.

    via The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : Turkey now a tourism magnet.

  • GNTO Branch to be Established in Istanbul

    GNTO Branch to be Established in Istanbul

    kefalogiani BarthiopomiouGreek Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, met Sept. 25th with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Fener and announced the impending establishment of a Greek National Tourism Organization branch in Istanbul. The Minister denounced the information about selling the building of the Greek Consulate in Smyrna.

    After meeting with the Patriarch, Kefalogianni expressed her government’s support to the work of the Patriarchate for Hellenism and the Greek Orthodox Church. The Minister said that she was formally invited to Istanbul by her Turkish counterpart in order to explore all possibilities of strengthening collaboration between the two countries in terms of tourism. She announced the Greek-Turkish tourism forum to take place in Athens within 2012.

    via GNTO Branch to be Established in Istanbul | Greek Reporter Europe.

  • Turkish Cypriots complain about Greek harassment

    Turkish Cypriots complain about Greek harassment

    REETA PAAKKINEN

    The Turkish Cypriot tourism sector is considering starting legal proceedings against Greek Cyprus for what they see as harassment of their business partners abroad. The issue reached the Italian parliament in June, when a local MP called the letters from Greek Cypriot representation an ‘intimidation campaign.’

    For harassment of their overseas business partners, the Turkish Cypriot Tourism and Travel Agencies Association, or KITSAB, and the Turkish Cypriot Hoteliers’ Association, or KITOB, are considering starting legal proceedings against the Greek Cypriot government.

    Presenting several letters from Greek Cypriot embassies in European Union countries and Lebanon to local travel companies marketing holidays in northern Cyprus, KITSAB and KITOB presidents said the Greek Cypriot approach contradicts the U.N.-mediated peace talks.

    In late June, the issue reached the Italian parliament. Marco Perduca of the Radical Party said the letter the Greek Cypriot Embassy in Rome sent to Italian tour operators amounted to an “intimidation campaign” in which the Italian government should support Italian entrepreneurs who bring tourists to northern Cyprus.

    Undermining tourism

    “This time we have had enough of the Greek Cypriot campaign to stop tourism to Turkish Cyprus. Germany, the U.K., Lebanon, Romania, Sweden. … Wherever we go, the Greek Cypriot government follows and calls for our business partners not to cooperate with us,” Özbek Dedekorkut, president of KITSAB, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.

    A letter from the Greek Cypriot Embassy in Rome to Italian tour operators, seen by the Daily News, conveyed the image that a holiday from Italy to northern Cyprus could lead one into legal trouble by stating, in Italian: “We remind that Tymbou [Ercan] Airport is in the occupied area. In addition, it is operating outside the IATA authority in a way that is outside the law. Arriving in Cyprus through that entry point can lead to fines according to the laws of Republic of Cyprus.”

    Another letter seen by the Daily News was from the Greek Cypriot Embassy in Beirut to a local tour operator in Jounieh, Lebanon, dated June 5. The letter presented the local travel agency the possibility of legal charges in case his company brings tourists to northern Cyprus.

    “It has come to the attention of this Embassy that your travel agency … is currently in the process of establishing a tourist holiday package involving destinations in the Turkish-occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus. As a consequence we hereby wish to inform you that some of your actions are violating both the legislation of the Republic of Cyprus – a member state of the European Union – and international law in such a way that it may be cause for taking legal action against you and your company. … We also advise you to refrain from launching a sea line with a destination in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus.”

    The letter had an official reference number and was signed by Charge d’Affaires Kyriacos P. Kouros, who could not be reached when the Daily News contacted him about the authenticity of the letter.

    Harming Turkish business

    Although there is no legal basis for stopping people from traveling to northern Cyprus, travel companies abroad become unnecessarily concerned, he said. “Greek Cypriot representatives are trying to scare local businesses abroad, and this harms us. They do not have the right to threaten our business partners like this,” Dedekorkut said.

    “The Greek Cypriot campaign is affecting our marketing, especially in Europe,” said Mehmet Dolmacı, president of KITOB. “Greek Cypriots are making it clear they don’t want to cooperate or share tourism income here. Cyprus is not solely a Greek island – Turkish Cypriots also have the right to live here. Whatever we try to do, they try to stop it. This seems to be their biggest job – not to find a solution but to try to pressure us to leave Cyprus for better income elsewhere.”

    Contradictory

    Maintaining isolation is contradictory to peace talks, according to Maurizio Turco, a member of the Italian Parliament and a colleague of Marco Perduca in the Italian Radical Party. Turco said attempts to hamper the growth of tourism in northern Cyprus are in dire contrast with the ongoing talks. “The Greek Cypriot side is talking with Turkish Cypriots about a comprehensive settlement, yet at the same time their representations are trying to stop tourism to northern Cyprus. This is just not right,” Turco told the Daily News in late July in Kyrenia.

    “We should bring the issue to the world’s attention. [Turkish Cypriot president] Mehmet Ali Talat should also point this out to [Greek Cypriot president] Dimitris Christofias and make it clear this is not right,” Turco added.

    According to Turco, the letters the Greek Cypriot Embassy in Rome sent have been noted in the Italian parliament. “This issue should really be discussed on the EU level,” he said. “Member states should come together to discuss the isolation of northern Cyprus. But because of the veto Greek Cyprus has, this is difficult.”

    It was a mistake to accept Greek Cyprus in the EU after it turned down the Kofi Annan Peace proposal, said Turco, who earlier served in the European Parliament. “There should have been first a peace deal, and only then entry for the whole island into the EU.”

    Hürriyet