Tourism
From The Report: Turkey 2013
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With official figures from 2012 showing foreign arrivals continuing to edge upwards, year-on-year, Turkey has maintained its status as a leading global tourism destination. Collaboration at the public, private and non-governmental levels is seen as key to improving professional standards in the sector, and to meeting the goals outlined in the Tourism Strategy 2023. There are still challenges, however, not least of which is the threat posed by rapid growth to the integrity of environmental, cultural and historical sites. Turkey is seeking to broaden its image as a destination by promoting its diverse landscapes and cultural heritage, with efforts under way to develop infrastructure to support golf and winter sports tourism as well. The Tourism Strategy 2023 is ambitious, with the 50m-visitor target around 20m higher than current figures. The target may be achievable, as numbers have grown at a heady rate in recent years, rising 170.7% between 2001 and 2011, for example.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Maturing gracefully: Aspiring to become a year-round destination through niche offerings
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With official figures from 2012 showing foreign arrivals continuing to edge upwards, year-on-year, Turkey has maintained its status as a leading global tourism destination. Indeed, the sector has shown little slowdown despite the economic troubles of its most active market, Europe. Yet there are challenges, not least of which is the way in which rapid growth has threatened the integrity of environmental, cultural and historical sites. “Rapid expansion in the sector has put increased pressure on…

Analysis

Making inroads: The MICE segment is seeking to expand to new corners of the country
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In the effort to increase product diversity and enhance the year-round viability of the tourism sector, the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) segment is receiving growing attention – both from the government as well as from industry professionals. As an already well-established MICE destination, the focus is currently on developing the domestic infrastructure to further strengthen the country’s solid position both regionally and globally. Strong Credentials Able to…

Analysis

Healthy numbers: Low-cost and quality-assured health services provide the right formula
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As an increasingly popular destination for health care, Turkish medical tourism has seen impressive growth over the last five years. A combination of rising standards in medical practice, along with higher incomes and government moves to let the private sector find its own feet, have created a good quality medical sector with prices still well below regional and international rivals. The health tourism niche is also part of the Tourism Strategy 2023, a sector development plan extending until the…

Analysis

Spreading their wings: Domestic travellers are a growing market
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Turkey is a renowned destination for international holidaymakers and business travellers, yet one of the outstanding successes of recent years has been the rise of domestic tourism – Turks holidaying at home and, increasingly, of travelling abroad. This trend is set to continue too, as economic growth makes a vacation all the more possible for the country’s citizens. After many years of restricted and expensive travel, pent-up demand for seeing the world is also a key factor. The Numbers Game Average…