Turkey is ideally placed to develop its tourist industry. The country has 151 beaches that have earned it the Blue Flag indicating they meet European beach criteria for cleanliness. It also has a summer climate ideal for sun and sea holidays and numerous historical, archaeological and Islamic sites. The people are genuinely friendly and hospitable and make visitors feel at home.
Events such as the national football team’s third place in the World Cup two years ago and Sertab Erener’s victory in the European song contest have helped promote Turkey. The start of EU accession talks after a decision is made on December 17 about whether the country will be accepted into the EU also bode well for tourism.
Even with a total bed capacity of 900,000 sufficient to welcome 40 million visitors a year, Turkey’s tourism industry still has plenty of room to grow and the number of visitors is rising steadily.
By the end of 2004 the number of tourists entering Turkey is calculated at 17 million and revenues from tourism will reach $13 billion. This figure is well above the $9.8 billion target set in the government’s International Monetary Fund-backed economic programme.
The increase in foreign visitors has also had a positive impact on the national airline. With domestic demand up 70 percent and foreign demand up by 25 percent, Turkish Airlines decided in July to purchase 51 new aircraft.
Despite initial concerns, the Iraq war had little impact last year and bombs in two hotels in Istanbul, which killed two people in August did not cause major cancellations.
The country is taking full advantage of its natural resources and developing an industy which will continue to make a major contribution to Turkey’s economic development in the coming years. |