Regional tourism fair grows twofold
Posted by meb at February 16th, 2008
As Turkey ramps up efforts to lure visitors inland toward cultural, religious and thermal springs experiences, it plays proud host this weekend to the East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Fair (EMITT) which opened its doors on Thursday. From tourism ministers, agents and seaside village representatives to hoteliers and skydiving outfitters, this is the place to showcase one’s wares to others serving visitors to Turkey and the Eurasian and the East Mediterranean regions.
Greeting more than 2,500 participants to the four-day fair, the largest fair in the three-region area is hosting a bevy of representatives from the tourism industry from over 50 countries and more than 30 Turkish cities and municipalities representing some 130 districts. Hacer Aydın, director of the fair’s organizer Ekin Fair Organization, said the fair has grown 50 percent in each of the last two years. “It is a huge success that 95 percent of the last year’s participants are also attending the fair this year,” she said.
The foreign participants from many different countries are busy introducing their culture and tourism opportunities in their country at this year’s 12th EMITT fair. Some of the networking extends to agreements between countries. “Turkish visitors do not have to get a visa if they come to Syria with a tourism agency,” said A. Hamid Aljabri, Byblos Tourism and Travel Agency from Syria. Aljabri also says this fair helps increase tourism and relations between the two countries, adding, “If it didn’t work I wouldn’t have come back this year.” Aljabri offers the visitors to his stand a dessert made of marzipan and a special coffee called “mırra”.
“Tourism between Turkey and Syria is increasing; around 20,000 people visited Syria from Turkey in 2003 and the number increased to 248,000 in 2007,” said Saadullah Aga El-Kalaa, Syria’s tourism minister. The Syrian Tourism Ministry put advertisements on billboards on the streets of Istanbul this year for the first time, El-Kalaa told the Turkish Daily News. As many as 100,000 Syrians are coming to Turkey and the numbers are increasing, he said, explaining the importance of the EMITT Fair for the tourism sectors of both states.
Foreign visitors draw attention to common history and similarities between Turkey and their countries. “Turkey and Sudan have relations and similarities based on their historical relations,” said Gırham Abdelgadis, Director of Information and Heritage Tourism Department under the Sudan Ministry of Tourism. “We have soft drinks like your “sherbet”, we have Sufi orders and festivals like your Mevlana festival,” he said. Abdelgadis said Sudan is an advantageous country for foreign investors and added that the foreign investment will be free of taxation for the next five years in Sudan. “Sudan is a country which has much cultural, natural and archeological diversity. There are 500 different tribes and cultures in Sudan which offer many places and activities for visitors such as archeological ruins and pyramids, the Nile River and scenic deserts, as well as wildlife.”
“This fair helps to increase both inbound and outbound tourism in India and Turkey,” said Praveen Verma, India’s Consul General to Istanbul. India and Turkey have been friends for many years; Mahatma Gandhi is well known and appreciated in Turkey too, he said. Verma told the TDN that Turkish universities are trying to open a Gandhi-Atatürk Center, he said. Verma also said that a movie is being shot for a Bollywood film in Istanbul called “Mission Istanbul” and that the premier will be in Istanbul.
Importance of transportation in tourism
Travel agencies noted that the transportation and direct flights from Turkey to certain cities in the world have a significant influence on increasing tourism to and from those cities. “The number of South African people who visit Turkey is larger than the Turks visiting South Africa,” said Ahmet Turgut, of Adventures Across Africa Company in South Africa. Turgut said one reason for this is that Turkish Airlines (THY) had not flown to South Africa for 4.5 years. However, Turkish tourists have been increasing lately after THY began direct flights three days a week in 2007. “South Arica has wildlife where people can go on safari; Cape Town and Sun City are the best places in the world that everyone should visit,” said Turgut. “As THY’s direct flights from Istanbul to Beijing has started, we expect that the visitors coming from Turkey will increase,” said Adam Zhang, general manager of Europe-Asia division of Chinaroam Travel service. Turkey and China have similarities in their history, said Zhang, adding that China is a good choice for a holiday with its rich culture and standard of facilities. Zhang also said they are expecting an increase in the number of visitors after their participation to EMITT. “China is a cheap country for Turkish visitors; one Turkish Lira makes seven Chinese Yuan,” he said.
Although most exhibitors and travel agencies are happy with the fair, some have complained about its location and timing. “We want to see the public here, but this place is far from the center of Istanbul and it is the middle of winter; people will not leave their houses,” said Mohamed Bachar, director of the Tunisian National Tourism Board. However, the fair has been very successful in getting travel agencies and professionals together, he said. He said 13,000 Turkish tourists visits Tunisia every year and this number is increasing. Bachar who is participating in EMITT for the fourth time said the fair is very important for the region in increasing incoming and outgoing tourism.
Local districts present at EMITT
Scores of Turkey’s local district governors, mayors and representatives have come to EMITT to introduce their area to both local and foreign tourists as well as investors. Foça Mayor Gökhan Demirağ said that the İzmir district central town of Foça is under protection and the region is open to investment especially for boutique hotels. Ali Akol, director of the Dardanelles Tourism Hoteliers Union (ÇATOD) said although the Dardanelles has unique character historically and naturally, tourism in the region is still operating at an amateur level. Akol also invited local investors to the region. Özdemir Çakacak, eastern Anatolia province of Van governor, said investors needn’t worry about security issues in the region. Çakacak welcomed all investors and added that the recently renovated Akdamar church would increase significance for historical and religious tourism in Van.
The fair’s virtual museum of the Kelkit Basin, composed of Black Sea and central Anatolia provinces of Giresun, Gümüşhane, Sivas and Tokat, has been unveiled at EMITT. Recai Akyel, Tokat Governor and Chairman of Kelkit Basin Development Union, said the four provinces’ museums are available on the Internet and that the virtual museum has videos, 3-D photographs and online photograph for sale on the Web site www.kelkitbasinmuseums.org.
Some representatives complained about the lack of advertisement and promotion of their regions. “Antalya city has grown in tourism but Cappadocia has fallen behind even though it has a unique culture tourism alternative,” said Ahmet Tok, director of Cappadocia Hotels and Operators Association (KAPTİD). Tok said that culture tourism is seen as expensive and tiring by the operators and agencies compared to sun and sand tourism. He also said that there should be an airport in Cappadocia in order to draw tourism to the region. The Municipality of Kaymaklı, a district of Nevşehir province, also introduced the famous underground city in Kaymaklı in Cappadocia.
Agencies and companies meet customers and clients in Istanbul
The fair provides a chance for companies to introduce innovations and the latest technology and services in their sectors. Free Bodies Health Equipment Company introduced an elevator designed for disabled people the first of its kind in Turkey. Serdar Özdil, general manager of the company, said the number of hotels that participate in EMITT is high so they preferred to introduce this elevator there. The elevator helps disabled, old or overweight people get into pools comfortably and safely.
Some companies prepared promotion options for visitors of EMITT. Gökhan Dedeoğlu, Service Tourism (Setur) Travel Agency communication coordinator, said that they will make discounts of up to 10 percent for next summer to the visitors who took a brochure from EMITT 2008. He also said EMITT is a fair where they find a chance to address the domestic market.
Companies, hotels and travel agencies coming from Turkey and around the world introduce and advertise themselves to each other as well as to people in Istanbul. Ertuğrul Özcan, representative of Bodrum Holiday House, said they participate in the fair to meet their clients and consumers in Istanbul face to face. Özcan said they rent luxurious houses like hotels to foreign and local tourists in the Aegean district of Bodrum in the summers.
The fair fills 10 halls and covers an area of 55,000 square meters. It will be open through Sunday at the TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center in the Beylikdüzü district of Istanbul. The fair is organized by the Ekin Fair Organization in collaboration with the Turkish Hotels Federation (TUROFED) and the Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TYD).
Source: Turkish Daily News
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