Minister of Culture and Tourism Ersoy spoke at the AKTOB Traditional August Dinner: “We continue to work to reach our 2024 target of 60 million visitors and 60 billion dollars in revenue” – “We have managed to break records in Turkish tourism one after another by acting with a new tourism approach that has become immune to crises” – “We foresee that the growth process in tourism will accelerate even more as of September”…
In two exclusive interviews we published last week, hoteliers complained about the empty hotels. Minister Ersoy reiterated today that they are committed to their 2024 goals.
ANTALYA (AA) – Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said, “We continue to work to reach our 2024 target of 60 million visitors and 60 billion dollars in revenue.”
Minister Ersoy attended the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB) Traditional August Dinner held at a hotel in Kundu Tourism Center.
In his speech here, Ersoy said that the number of visitors, which was 22.9 million in the first six months of 2023, has exceeded 26 million this year as a result of the studies carried out, and tourism revenue has reached 23.7 billion dollars, increasing by more than 9 percent compared to the first six months of 2023.
They emphasized that they do not find these figures sufficient and believe that they can achieve much more for the country’s tourism. Ersoy said, “We continue to work to reach our 2024 target of 60 million visitors and 60 billion dollars in revenue.” he said.
After announcing this goal, Ersoy stated that there were many events both regionally and globally that affected the tourism sector, including the European Football Championship and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Ersoy, who stated that they estimated the impact of these two major sports organizations on June, July and August, while political tensions and wars continued in the region, noted the following:
“For this reason, we have taken many precautions to strengthen Turkish tourism against developments that we have predicted or have never known. We have developed strategies to bring Antalya and our country to the super league of world tourism and to make it permanent there. Acting with a new understanding of tourism that has become immune to crises, We have managed to break records in Turkish tourism one after another. On the first day we took office, I said that Turkey is one of the countries with the most important tourism potential in the world.In order to manage this potential in the most accurate way, we established the Tourism Development Agency by creating a professional and dynamic structure that includes private sector representatives and can make quick decisions. In 2023, a total of 2,107 people from 75 countries, including tour operators, press members and influencers, were hosted within the scope of 74 events held in Antalya alone. We carry out promotion and advertising activities in more than 200 countries within the TGA. I can easily say that Turkey is the country that advertises the most intensively and effectively in the world regarding tourism.“
– “We will soon start the construction of the New Antalya Archaeological Museum”
Minister Ersoy stated that they increased the number of archaeological studies within the scope of the “Golden Age of Turkish Archaeological History – Heritage to the Future Project” in order to extend tourism to 12 months, and said, “Hopefully, we will complete the equivalent of the studies carried out in the field of archaeology in our country in the next 4 years. We are also starting the construction of the new Antalya Archaeology Museum soon, the project work is nearing completion. With this, we will also bring an Underwater Archaeology Museum to Kemer.”
Ersoy explained that the tender for the Alanya highway was made by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure with the build-operate-transfer model, and that they also developed projects on reducing urban traffic and arranging intersections together with the General Directorate of Highways.
Noting that they have implemented the Sustainable Tourism Certificate Program as the first country to sign an agreement with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council through the government, Ersoy said, “Thanks to all the work we have done, we have broken an all-time record in tourism. We anticipate that the growth process in tourism will accelerate even more as of September. Hopefully, with your support, we will continue to work day and night so that Antalya and our country can get a larger share of the world tourism pie.”
Following his speech, AKTOB President Kaan Kavaloğlu presented Minister Ersoy with a plaque in the shape of a Turkish flag.
