Turkey’s tourism industry leaders expand to Arab travel market
Posted by meb at May 7th, 2008
The 15th Arabian Travel Market, the biggest tourism show in the Middle East, opened yesterday in Dubai with a record number of more than 2,000 exhibitors and over 40 national tourist bodies.
The exhibition is taking place at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Center from May 6-9, with the final day open to the public. The exhibition will also host discussions from senior industry figures debating a variety of subjects regarding issues of tourism in the Middle East, ranging from general airline problems to concerns of specific sectors, like medical tourism and vacations for blind and visually impaired travelers. Turkey is among 60 countries participating in this exhibition, reflecting the latest campaign to attract vacationers from Middle East and Gulf countries.
Arabian Travel Market attracted more than 23,000 trade visitors from 108 countries last year and they expect to exceed that this year. Exhibition Director Simon Press, however, told Today’s Zaman the organizers are “focusing on the quality of visitors coming through the door, not necessarily the quantity.” The United Arab Emirates is the leading participant this year with more than 350 local companies signed so far. The UAE government, headed by Prime Minister and Vice President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is reported to have been paying special importance to the tourism sector.
The Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture along with industry leaders like Turkish Airlines (THY) and major hotel chains and travel agencies are participating in the Arabian Travel Market this year. Industry analysts see great growth potential in tourism from the Middle East, especially the Gulf countries. You might see new attendees from Turkey on the exhibition floor trying to expand into this new market. Tezcan Özdemir is among those attending for the first time this year to feel out the potential and explore new opportunities. Representing the Lykia Group International Sales & Marketing Department, Özdemir says: “I came to assess and make an informed decision on whether or not we have a potential in this market. … We have already established a strong presence in some markets,” adding, “We are looking for ways to expand into the Arabian Peninsula and Scandinavian islands.”
The location of the Turkey booth was a matter of concern for some Turkish participants, as it was moved to corner away from the main entrance. Emin Kaya, a cultural attaché in Dubai, says “organizers moved the whole Europe section, including Turkey, to another location,” adding, “We grabbed the best place, right at the entrance.” He is right. If you enter the exhibit hall from the Zaabeel Entrance, the Turkey stand is decorated red and white, representing the Turkish flag. “Turkey nevertheless lodged a complaint with organizers for its location,” notes Kaya. “They tried to offset it by providing free car parking spaces near the Zaabeel Hall entrance.”
Some Turkish firms are veterans to this fair. Take Plaza Tour, for example. “We have been participants in this fair since from the start,” says Serdal Can, the general manager of Plaza Tour that target VIP tourists. He thinks high-level contacts between Turkey and the UAE are helping his business to grow. You might see new attendees from Turkey on the exhibition floor trying to expand into this new market. Tezcan Özdemir is among this year’s first-time attendees that came out to feel out the potential and explore new opportunities. Representing the Lykia Group International Sales & Marketing Department, Özdemir says: “I came to assess and make an informed decision on whether or not we have a potential in this market. … We have already established a strong presence in some markets,” adding, “We are looking for ways to expand into the Arabian Peninsula and Scandinavian islands.”
There are some among visitors to the Turkish booth, who say they are already reaping the benefits of this fair. “We made direct contact with our partners in Turkey and got rid of intermediaries,” states Fawad Ahmad, who owns Pakistani travel agency Asia Express. “We were doing this business through our contacts in Dubai,” he notes. “Now we can get faster responses and much better quality.” He emphasizes Turkey represents a major potential destination point for Asian travelers due to cheaper prices than Dubai, great sightseeing possibilities and the opportunity to see a culture that intermixes European and Asian elements.
There are already some Turkish companies with local branches in Dubai helping develop both incoming and outgoing tourism between the UAE and Turkey. Yusuf Coskun represents one such company, Dubai-based International FlyExpress, as well as branches in Istanbul. He makes a point that: “In recent years we have seen increasing demand from Arab vacationers coming to Turkey. But incoming tourists from Turkey to Dubai exceed the outgoing figure.” Coskun notes that increasing relations on the governmental level between Turkey and the UAE helps tremendously the interaction among leisure travelers prompting the industry to come up with new offers.
source: Today’s Zaman
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