Turkey plans to increase tourist take

After a record breaking year for tourism in 2005, Turkey has announced it is already in preparation for the summer tourist season and has high expectations for the coming months.

Following last year's record number 22 million visitors, culture and tourism minister, Atilla Koc, says that the Turkish government anticipates another successful year, expecting around 26 million tourists and revenues of $19 billion, according to Southeast European Times.

However, Huseyin Baraner, the chairman of the EU-Turkey Labour Council, argues that the country will be facing increased competition from other Mediterranean countries.

Mr Baraner states: "Greece has started a new campaign saying that they are aiming for second place in Europe after Spain.

"They have renewed many hotels that had lost their competitive nature in competing with their Turkish counterparts and have also established a separate ministry of tourism for the first time."

Mr Baraner also noted that prices of family packages have been cut in Spanish resorts and with countries such as Egypt, Malta, Croatia and Morocco are all aiming to increase their share of the market, Turkey needs to look at new ways to attract the tourist dollar.

Some of Turkey's key attractions include the ancient city of Istanbul with its famous Blue Mosque and many historic sites, the Cappadocia region with its magical, naturally-occurring phenomena, the peribacalari or "fairy chimneys" and the beautiful Aegean coast.

Posted by Just the Flight, 25 March 2006 12:27

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