Tourism expert: “If the population continues to grow in Antalya, we cannot sustain tourism”

Osman AYIK, Tourism Consultant for Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, who participated in the “City and Tourism” panel organized by the Faculty of Tourism at Akdeniz University and Antalya City Council, stated that the city’s biggest problem was social transitions and added following; “If this population growth continues, we cannot sustain tourism in Antalya.”

AYIK also said “Sustainability is the most popular concept of our day and is a concept present in every moment of our lives,” and emphasized that this concept should not be reduced only to the environmental dimension.

Highlighting that sustainability had three elements such as environmental, social development, and economic returns, he noted following; “Sustainability needs to be supported by these elements. All these concepts of sustainability are on local governments. There is traffic of over 15.5 million in the city. Considering Antalya’s population of 2.5 million, local governments bear a significant burden.

He went on to say “However, local governments are not involved in the city’s cultural and tourism planning. We must now recognize this. Planning is done by ministries and public administration. Local governments are not involved in decision-making when legal regulations are made. We prepare regulations and plans, but we do not make the decisions. It is not possible for local governments to remain outside of this.”