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The fact that the view of the western countries on the east has greatly changed since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the interest of Arab tourists started growing in Turkey. Tourism professionals ask the Culture and Tourism Ministry to take advantage of this chance and make investments to draw them to Turkey.
Attracted by sun, shopping and the image of Turkey they cull from soap operas, Arab tourists have been flocking to Turkey in ever-greater numbers. Tourism professionals argue, however, that for this trend to continue the government needs to do more to attract Arab travelers and facilitate their path in getting here. While Turkish Hotels Federation, or TUROFED, Chairman Ahmet Barut argued there were an insufficient number of flights, the Tourism Writers and Journalists Association, or TUYED, Chairman Kerem Kofteoglu argued there should be better preparation for next year’s tourism season.
The change in the Western view of Middle Eastern countries since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has attracted many Arab tourists to friendly Turkey. Easy visa transactions and an increase in political and commercial relations between Turkey and Arab countries have also played a role. Many also expect that Turkish soap operas, which have become very popular in Middle Eastern countries in recent times, will increase this interest.
Nearly 918,000 Arab tourists came to Turkey last year. This number was 752,000 in 2006 and 753,000 in 2005, according to information provided by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. The number of Arab tourists who chose Turkey between January and July was 630,000 this year. This year’s total is already expected to be higher. Arab tourists tend to prefer Istanbul, Bursa and Konya. But even the number who came to Antalya this year increased compared to previous years, said Barut.
But to support the growing interest of Arab tourists in Turkey certain measures must be taken, he said. Turkish investors should travel to Arab countries to promote the country. “This region is home to wealthy tourists. There is also cultural closeness and high population. We should benefit from this potential and take action,” Barut said.
Barut advocated a focus on advertisements targeting Arab tourists. He said, however, flights still posed a serious problem. “As long as the number of flights is insufficient, we cannot be successful in drawing Arab tourists to the country. We need serious investment in the field of transportation.”
There are no flights to Turkey from Arab countries except to Istanbul, he said. If there were flights to Antalya and Bodrum, the number of Arab tourists would definitely increase, he argued. “It is just a dream to expect more tourists without solving this problem.”
TUYED Chairman Kofteoglu echoed the view that the Arab market had been long neglected. He said the market in Arab tourists who moved away from the Western countries after the Sept. 11 attacks had not been properly capitalized on. “If necessary measures were taken, the number of Arab tourists would have easily exceeded 2 million,” he said.
He said the profile of Arab tourists was changing. “Arab tourists, who tended to rent houses in the past, are now seeking accommodation in five-star hotels. Istanbul is not only more popular among holiday goers but it is one of the prominent cities where company managers want to hold their meetings. Business meetings, which used to be held primarily in Lebanon, are now moving to Istanbul because of chaos in Lebanon. Also, Arab tourists, who spend a great deal of money shopping, are ideal. They spend 10 times more money than European tourists.”
Kofteoglu said all eyes would be on the Arab tourist market next year, adding the Culture and Tourism Ministry should take steps on the issue along with the industry’s representatives. He said it was expected the number of Arab tourists would reach 1.2 million by the end of the year. “If this market is given more importance, this number may be double,” he added.
Even though the profile of Arab tourists changes according to their country, they mainly prefer Istanbul, Bursa and Konya for faith and culture tours, and Antalya for sea and sun tourism. Iranian tourists like to stay in Konya and Bursa as well as Istanbul, Antalya and Mugla. Those who come from the United Arab Emirates stay in four- and five-star hotels for about one week. They show interest in nature, culture and shopping tours. As for Syrians, Turkey is their choice after Saudi Arabia.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry is preparing advertisements with pictures of Turkey. As well, print media and open-air ads, visuals for Arab tourists are being prepared to be shown in movie theaters. Turkey’s culture, faith, sea and sun tourism are highlighted in the ads.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
