Antalya Tourism Fair Opens Its Doors for the Seventh Time
The Antalya Tourism Fair has officially opened its doors for the seventh time, bringing together professionals from across the travel and hospitality industry. During the opening ceremony, ATF Founder and Chairman Selçuk Meral highlighted the fair’s importance for the tourism sector, saying, “From the very beginning, we started this journey with great faith. Turkey and Antalya have everything — and can achieve so much more.”
A Year-Round Tourism Vision for Antalya
TÜRSAB Vice President Davut Günaydın emphasized the need to address the shortage of qualified staff in the tourism industry. He noted that Antalya stands out not only in traditional tourism but also in alternative segments. “Antalya, the tourism capital of the world, is a key destination where millions of people from all over the globe come together. It also serves as the capital of sports tourism,” he said.
Expressing his goal of spreading tourism activities across all twelve months, Günaydın added, “The season, which used to end in September, now extends until November. We have declared Burdur as a pilot region and are taking concrete steps toward this goal.”
Boosting Visitor Numbers and Strengthening the Industry
Günaydın pointed out that 80% of tourists visiting Turkey arrive through travel agencies and tour operators. “We want the number of tourists coming to Turkey to be measured in hundreds of millions. To achieve this, we continue to support all stakeholders in the tourism industry,” he stated.
He also underlined the progress made in combating unregistered operations, adding following statement: “Our teams have conducted 400,000 inspections, and the rate of illegal activity has dropped to 1.82%. We encourage hoteliers to work in cooperation with travel agencies and support them in every way.”
Calls for Visa Reform and Stronger Coordination
Touching on the challenges related to visa procedures, Günaydın stressed the need for reforms regarding cost, processing time, and rejection rates. “We are calling for the establishment of an Interministerial Tourism Coordination Board and for the immediate implementation of an incentive mechanism, particularly for airlines,” he added.
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