Türkiye at masters stage in tourism: Erdoğan

ANKARA

Türkiye has great potential in terms of tourism, and the country has reached the state of master in this industry, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Nov. 29.

“In places abroad, we encounter images that affect people. There is a wealth of nature, history, culture and gastronomy. What makes our country different is that it can offer all these beauties at once to the service of our guests,” Erdoğan said, addressing the meeting of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation’s seventh Ordinary General Assembly.

It is the tourism sector that should make the best use of this great treasure, Erdoğan said, adding, “We have completed the apprenticeship and journeyman period in tourism. We are now at the mastery stage.”

During the periods when the tourism sector in the world made a great leap forward, Türkiye followed the process behind for various reasons, the president said, adding that the country moved further in this field during the term of then-President Turgut Özal.

“Although we took a short break amid the pandemic, we are at the peak of our country in terms of tourism income. It is worth the effort that the overnight stay is close to $1,000. The fact that we have risen to the eighth place in tourism income is a signal that we will come to very good places this year,” he stated.

Türkiye’s total number of active facilities, including those with a simple accommodation operation certificate, exceeds 20,000, and the total bed number exceeds 1,730,000, Erdoğan said.

“I congratulate our industry, which has left behind 193 million overnight stays. TÜROFED also has a share in this success with its 3,000 members and a bed capacity of nearly 800,000,” the president noted.

Türkiye’s way to rise to world leadership in tourism is clear by working much harder in this period when its rivals in tourism have lost altitude due to the impact of global crises, the president explained.

The continuation of investments with 609 new facilities and more than 143,000 new beds in the tourism sector alone is an expression of this fact, Erdoğan added.

Tourism professionals should be sure that they will find the support of the government in the steps to be taken by each of tourism professionals, especially the members of TÜROFED, Erdoğan emphasized.

“We do not look at anyone’s identity when it comes to Türkiye’s interests. The only place we look at is the work brought to our country and the services rendered to our nation. We did not do politics with hostility toward investors. You are also witnesses of the struggle for democracy and development we have fought for the last 20 years to bring our country to this level,” the president stated.