Turkey joins forces with Syria for tourism
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Şubat 05, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Turkey and Syria will sign next week an agreement to cooperate in increasing tourism between the two countries over the next three years.
The agreement will be finalized by Saadallah Aghaa Al Kala, Syrian Minister of Tourism and Ertuğrul Günay, his counterpart in Turkey, at the opening of the Eastern Mediterranean International Travel & Tourism Exhibition 2009, or Emitt, in Istanbul on Feb. 12. Emitt is the biggest tourism fair in Turkey and among the largest in eastern Mediterranean. For the first time, the fair, which runs to Feb. 15, is featuring a so-called "guest country," which this year is Syria.
The fair will consist of approximately 3,000 exhibitors from some 50 countries and 100 places in Turkey, and is expected to attract some 100,000 visitors. Ahmet Barut, president of the Turkish Hotels Federation, or TUROFED, noted the number of exhibitors is up by 20 percent this year, regardless of the ongoing turbulence in the global markets.
"The growth in participant figures shows that many in the sector also outside Turkey see tourism as potentially the only sector that still offers hope," he said.
New countries attending the fair
New countries in the fair include Armenia. Israel, on the other hand, is not taking part in the fair although seven years ago it planned to attend.
"There was even an agreement that Palestine and Israel would share the stand at Emitt seven years ago. But Israel then cancelled, quoting security as a concern," Hacer Aydın, director of Ekin Fuarcılık, the fair’s organizer, confirmed.
Tülin Ersöz, advisor for the mayor of Istanbul Greater Municipality noted that one of the aims of the fair is to highlight Istanbul’s role in world tourism.
"Istanbul, which has a history of nearly 10,000 years and an immeasurable cultural heritage, is aiming to become a world brand. We are not at all too far from reaching this target," she said.
In 2008 some 26 million tourists visited Turkey, bringing in total revenue of $22 billion.
The fair will consist of approximately 3,000 exhibitors from some 50 countries and 100 places in Turkey, and is expected to attract some 100,000 visitors. Ahmet Barut, president of the Turkish Hotels Federation, or TUROFED, noted the number of exhibitors is up by 20 percent this year, regardless of the ongoing turbulence in the global markets.
"The growth in participant figures shows that many in the sector also outside Turkey see tourism as potentially the only sector that still offers hope," he said.
New countries attending the fair
New countries in the fair include Armenia. Israel, on the other hand, is not taking part in the fair although seven years ago it planned to attend.
"There was even an agreement that Palestine and Israel would share the stand at Emitt seven years ago. But Israel then cancelled, quoting security as a concern," Hacer Aydın, director of Ekin Fuarcılık, the fair’s organizer, confirmed.
Tülin Ersöz, advisor for the mayor of Istanbul Greater Municipality noted that one of the aims of the fair is to highlight Istanbul’s role in world tourism.
"Istanbul, which has a history of nearly 10,000 years and an immeasurable cultural heritage, is aiming to become a world brand. We are not at all too far from reaching this target," she said.
In 2008 some 26 million tourists visited Turkey, bringing in total revenue of $22 billion.