Wednesday, June 15, 2011
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Pictures of Turkey’s sandy beaches and ancient heritage are now appearing on billboards lining the popular streets of the world’s capitals, foreign TV channels and public buses as the Tourism Ministry spends $96.8 million to attract more visitors to the country
 This June 4 photo shows Turkey posters on a building on a popular street in Los Angeles, US. The country plans to spend $98 million to promote itself as a tourism destination. |
Turkey is spending nearly $96.8 million to promote the country as a tourism destination around the world as it seeks to attract a target of 31 million visitors by the end of 2011, according to officials.
Turkey’s 40 promotion offices across the world are working to increase the country’s tourism profile and bring more people in, Tayfun Şenerkul, head of the Asia Pacific and Middle East Department of Turkey’s General Directorate of Promotion told the Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview Tuesday.
“Through various TV commercials, advertisements on billboards and Internet banners, we aim to gain a bigger share of the [world] tourist [market],” he said.
The million-dollar promotion campaign tenders generally begin in September and close by the end of November, he said.
Speaking about the political turmoil in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Şenerkul said Turkey had halted commercials in Cairo and decreased the amount spent in some Middle Eastern countries.
The country has offices in Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Cairo, Damascus, Dubai and Tehran.
“Despite the cuts and slumps in budget for promotion in [parts of] the region, Turkey still draws tourists from the region as it is a safe holiday destination with an affordable price tag and not many competitors,” he said.
“Turkey will be promoted in 153 different fairs in 61 countries in this year,” said Başaran Ulusoy, chairman of Turkish Association of Travel Agents, or TURSAB, as he emphasized the need for promoting the country abroad.
“Turkey became one of the top destinations globally thanks to international promotion campaigns,” said Ulusoy, adding that Turkey’s economic positive outlook compared with crisis-hit southern European countries, such as Greece, Italy and Spain played a major role in Turkey’s position. “During the crisis, many Middle Eastern tourists chose Turkey as visas have been waived for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.”
Besides activities abroad, the directorate hosted this year over 200 foreign opinion makers, primarily journalists, to experience the “Turkish way of holiday,” Şenerkul said.
In regards to the recent opening of promotion offices in Brunei, Malaysia, China and India, the official said the booming tourist flow to Turkey proved “the country’s strategy is on the right track.”
Turkey had increased its total number of tourist from 13.2 million in 2002 to 28.6 million by the end of last year, a total increase of 116 percent, according to official figures.
The country’s total spending on global promotion campaigns, advertisements and international fairs peaked at $98.6 million this year compared with $27.8 million in 2002, according to figures provided by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The nation’s tourism revenues are also bearing the fruits of long-term investment, according to Şenerkul, as the total revenue of tourism had climbed from $7.6 billion to $20.8 billion by the end of last year.
Turkey’s tourism revenue might hit nearly $25 billion by the end of this year, said Ahmet Barut, head of Turkish Hoteliers Federation, or TUROFED. “Turkey could easily reach the targeted 31 million tourists by the end of this year,” he told the Daily News.
Turkey’s 40 promotion offices across the world are working to increase the country’s tourism profile and bring more people in, Tayfun Şenerkul, head of the Asia Pacific and Middle East Department of Turkey’s General Directorate of Promotion told the Hürriyet Daily News in a phone interview Tuesday.
“Through various TV commercials, advertisements on billboards and Internet banners, we aim to gain a bigger share of the [world] tourist [market],” he said.
The million-dollar promotion campaign tenders generally begin in September and close by the end of November, he said.
Speaking about the political turmoil in parts of the Middle East and North Africa, Şenerkul said Turkey had halted commercials in Cairo and decreased the amount spent in some Middle Eastern countries.
The country has offices in Tel Aviv, Riyadh, Cairo, Damascus, Dubai and Tehran.
“Despite the cuts and slumps in budget for promotion in [parts of] the region, Turkey still draws tourists from the region as it is a safe holiday destination with an affordable price tag and not many competitors,” he said.
“Turkey will be promoted in 153 different fairs in 61 countries in this year,” said Başaran Ulusoy, chairman of Turkish Association of Travel Agents, or TURSAB, as he emphasized the need for promoting the country abroad.
“Turkey became one of the top destinations globally thanks to international promotion campaigns,” said Ulusoy, adding that Turkey’s economic positive outlook compared with crisis-hit southern European countries, such as Greece, Italy and Spain played a major role in Turkey’s position. “During the crisis, many Middle Eastern tourists chose Turkey as visas have been waived for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.”
Besides activities abroad, the directorate hosted this year over 200 foreign opinion makers, primarily journalists, to experience the “Turkish way of holiday,” Şenerkul said.
In regards to the recent opening of promotion offices in Brunei, Malaysia, China and India, the official said the booming tourist flow to Turkey proved “the country’s strategy is on the right track.”
Turkey had increased its total number of tourist from 13.2 million in 2002 to 28.6 million by the end of last year, a total increase of 116 percent, according to official figures.
The country’s total spending on global promotion campaigns, advertisements and international fairs peaked at $98.6 million this year compared with $27.8 million in 2002, according to figures provided by Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The nation’s tourism revenues are also bearing the fruits of long-term investment, according to Şenerkul, as the total revenue of tourism had climbed from $7.6 billion to $20.8 billion by the end of last year.
Turkey’s tourism revenue might hit nearly $25 billion by the end of this year, said Ahmet Barut, head of Turkish Hoteliers Federation, or TUROFED. “Turkey could easily reach the targeted 31 million tourists by the end of this year,” he told the Daily News.
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