TTYD President Oya Narin: Tourism's share of GDP, currently at 5.5 percent, can rise to 7.5 percent

Oya Narin, President of the Tourism Investors Association of Turkey (TTYD), stated that Turkey's tourism revenues could reach up to 120 billion dollars in previous programs, and that it would certainly reach the 100 billion dollar mark when left to its own momentum.

Narin said, "We have a tourism report that we published together with TÜSİAD in 2020. We believe that if we open the way for tourism areas such as transforming existing capacity with the Tourism Transformation initiative, renewing it in line with the era, rehabilitating some training and destination areas, health tourism, and third-age tourism, we can go up to 135 billion dollars. This means 120 million people. Currently, our Ministry of Tourism's target is to see 100 billion dollars in 2028. The coming year and the year after are important. According to the current Medium-Term Program, this figure is 90 billion dollars for 2028."

"WE PROJECT THAT 800 MILLION TOURISTS WILL VISIT TURKEY BY 2033"

Oya Narin stated that the ministry takes a broader view and emphasized that a new understanding of tourism is needed as we enter the second century.

Underlining the need for a new perspective, Narin said, "Maintaining and renewing the existing is not the only issue; it is not just about increasing the current bed capacity of tourism, but about transforming the existing to create more added value and increase revenue. In this case, we can reach 135 billion dollars; this is a product of a study that emerged with econometric measurements. We worked on these models for two years. We have just revised this. Tourism's share of the gross domestic product, which is currently 5.5 percent, can rise to 7.5 percent. We can see 135 billion dollars. We project that 800 million tourists will visit Turkey by 2033."

Touching upon Turkey's value-added transformation in terms of health tourism, Narin pointed out that Turkey needs to further expand its efforts in this field.

Sharing the information that half of the current bed capacity is used for 180 days and that capacity utilization is around 40-50 percent, Narin spoke as follows:

"Therefore, if we can increase these 180 days to 210-250 days, we will have very serious income from there. How will this happen? Sports tourism, cultural tourism, 'Wellness'—not just health. We need to put this into 'Wellness'. We need to support those 60-90 days with 'well-being' and 'wellness'. Currently, we see people who come for surgery and treatment as health tourism. We also see geothermal and thermal facilities as part of this to some extent. But when we say health tourism in the coming period, 'well-being' tourism needs to develop. This is a massive market. Therefore, when we move the business beyond the periphery of hospitals and hotels into the area of well-being, this tourism will move towards different routes and different areas. It will also develop the regions."

Narin continued: "How are gastronomy routes being made today? 'Well-being' routes should also be made. This is a structure that integrates nature, hiking, thermal springs, and culture. This is how it is in the world. Hotels no longer accept hotels without a SPA. These need to be developed. In addition to this, we have a tremendous geothermal potential. If you look at Turkey's geothermal map, you can build geothermal facilities everywhere. Because it is possible for all the people around us to come here and benefit from geothermal facilities, or rather, from thermal springs."

"TURKEY HAS NO PROBLEM IN TERMS OF PROMOTION, OUR PRODUCT IS GOOD"

TTYD President Narin also touched upon Turkey's tourism promotion, saying that Turkey has no problems in terms of promotion and is very good at it.

Narin said, "First of all, our product is good, our price is good. Here, airports at destinations and airport operations are very important. The growth of Antalya Airport, and the better use of İzmir and Dalaman airports were necessary. Therefore, the business actually starts with flight planning and scheduled flights. If you look at Spain's tourism, if 110 million people are going, half of them are not going with package tours, they are going themselves. They go many times. They go with scheduled flights, like Ryan Air, Easy Jet. They definitely have a house, and that house is used by themselves, their relatives, and their children. Therefore, we have always talked about this in our Tourism Transformation Plan."

Expressing that bringing second homes into tourism is very important, Narin noted that what can be done in 180 days each season with the current bed capacity is limited and that hotels are already full.

Oya Narin continued her speech as follows:

"Either you will build new hotels and they will work for 180 days and remain empty part-time. Or you will spread the season with 'well-being', sports, and culture packages. It is also important to bring second tourism homes, which are idle and used for 1 month a year, into tourism. With the Tourism Residences Law, there might be some movement here too. Because there was an uncontrolled order. Now it will be controlled, healthy, safe, and taxed. Therefore, unfair competition will be eliminated. Because everyone was already renting out their apartments, but now if they want to rent, there will be a certain standard. But this will bring us this advantage; there are second homes on all of Turkey's coastal shores, from İskenderun to Tekirdağ, on the most valuable coastal shores. By bringing these into tourism in some way, a new bed capacity will emerge, and a long-stay bed capacity will emerge. This was already happening. But a more proper standard will begin to form. Because the homeowners there will also look to get a return from this. Bodrum has become like that today. Everyone is renting out their house on their own."

"A SUSTAINABLE AREA MUST BE CREATED BY INCREASING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE SECTOR"

TTYD President Oya Narin stated that all global brands are now entering all-inclusive packages.

Narin said, "All brands in the world are entering all-inclusive. Because the family that travels the most with package tours is the family. The family unit in the world wants to know its budget. Because they want to know their budget, they definitely prefer all-inclusive. It will continue like this. Because having children is also encouraged in Europe. Children are already increasing in countries like ours. Therefore, all-inclusive is a preferred system."

Pointing out the necessity of creating a sustainable area by increasing the number of employees in the sector, Narin continued:

"When we talk about middle and upper-level management, subjects like business and economics come to the fore more than hotel management. We need to open and encourage more certificate programs and two-year programs for our middle and lower-level staff. Military service used to be an issue, now that has disappeared. In this sense, we need to work a little more, but the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of National Education, and the sector have done a joint study regarding vocational high schools. Many of the nearly 200 vocational high schools there have been sponsored by facilities and investors. That process is ongoing. Interns coming out of those schools are given job guarantees every summer. They receive at least above the minimum wage, and the school's needs are met. Managers working in hotels can go there and teach classes. A synergy like this has been created. It is very beneficial because they all have job guarantees."

News Source: 12punto