31.08.2018 Ankara
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, speaking at the opening session of the Istanbul Workshop organized to make Istanbul an indispensable destination for producing high added value, underlined that TOBB regards tourism as the gold sector of the country.
Istanbul Workshop was held at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition
Palace with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in cooperation
with ITO TÜROFED, TÜRSAB, THY, İSTTA and FVW under the leadership of TOBB.
During the opening session, TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Culture and
Tourism Deputy Minister rare Alpaslan, Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin, Istanbul
Chamber of Commerce (ITO) Chairman Şekib Avdagiç Turkey Hoteliers Federation
(TUROFED) and TOBB Tourism Industry Council President Osman Ayık, Turkey Travel
Agencies Association (TÜRSAB), Istanbul Tourism Association (İSTTA) President
Halil Korkmaz, and Klaus Hildebrandt, the chief editor of the German Media
Foundation FVW, addressed the participants.
TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu thanked the individuals and
institutions who supported the organization while emphasizing its importance. Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “Being one of the oldest cities in world history, Istanbul is the only
city in the world that has been the capital of three great empires and spanning
two continents. In Istanbul, you will see traces of Egypt, Rome, Athens, Jerusalem,
Troy, Babylon, Ephesus. Istanbul is a real world city with traces of all
civilizations.”
Stating that TOBB is the largest professional organization in Turkey with
memberships of all companies from all sectors; both domestic and foreign,
Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that they consider every company established and
operating in the country is an asset and support as such. The TOBB President
stated that they have a wide network. “We are party to, or in the management of
all business organizations between the Atlantic and the Pacific. We have very
deep economic relations with our largest trading partner, Germany and the German
business community. We have established the German-Turkish Chamber of Commerce
and Industry together with the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK),
Germany's largest business organization. This includes the leading tourism
companies in Germany and Turkey. We are helping German companies operating in
our country; we defend their rights. We're in a great effort for the
development of tourism in Turkey. In order to produce solutions to the problems
encountered in Turkey, we established the Tourism Sector Council. Taking part
in the Tourism Council, are not only Turkey's largest tourism company but also
representatives of the Tourism Ministry and other relevant public agencies. All
parties come together regularly around the same table. They deal with the
problems in the sector, develop solutions and present them to the public
administration.
Taking charge of the Sector Council as Chairman is Mr. Osman Ayık, who
is also the President of TÜROFED. The Tourism Sector Council has provided many
important services such as lowering the VAT rates in tourism, providing support
to agencies, and insuring that hotels are included within the scope of the
credit guarantee fund. Additionally, we have always supported and supported the
tourism sector with our channels of commerce in every city. Most recently, we
have undertaken the organization of the Turkey Festival in Moscow. Now, with
you here, we’ve convened to discuss how we increase Turkey's share in the
overseas travel market in Germany. The contribution of our Union to Turkish
tourism will continue in the future.”
- “Turkey is not just sun, sea
and sand.”
Stating that the tourism sector is a success story for Turkey worldwide,
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu emphasized that Turkey is not just sea, sun and
sand. “History and culture are here. Many of the first civilizations were born in
these lands.” Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that the first money was printed here;
trade, banking and commodity exchanges emerged here first. Hisarcıklıoğlu said,
“Rome and Byzantium were here. The Seljuks, the Ottomans were here. Is there
another country which has a such a rich history with a myriad of unique
cultures in the world? For all these reasons, we make no distinction about
protecting historical assets in Turkey. In any period, from civilization,
culture, faith; we consider all of them to be the inheritance of humanity
entrusted to us. 20 years ago in Turkey,
the number of areas covered by the UNESCO list of world heritage was only 7.
Today this number has reached 17.
I would like to proudly express that we, as TOBB, have undertaken all
the care and restoration of the Edirne Selimiye Mosque and its surrounding
complex as an example. Apart from these, there are also 78 temporary and
nominal candidates of natural and cultural value for the UNESCO list. This is
the greatest opportunity for us to introduce all of our universal values to
the world.”
- The quality of the facilities
in Turkey are found nowhere else
Stating that Germany has always been important for Turkey’s tourism and
the among first 3 countries sending tourists, TOBB President M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu lamented that in the last few years, Germany's share in the
number of foreign tourists visiting the country has declined to 10% from 16%.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “We are still behind the 5.6 million German tourists per year
at which we peaked in 2015. The number of German tourists last year was 3.6
million. As of the first half of this year, there has been a 22% increase
compared to last year, which is pleasing. Now, how we can protect and increase
this trend? We will talk and evaluate this with you who are the main experts in
the business.”
TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, pointing out that he has seen and
stayed in every country in Europe, that in regards to the hotel of quality and
the service capacity in Turkey are found in no other country.”
- Culture and Tourism Deputy
Minister Nadir Alpaslan
Nadir Alpaslan, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, said in his
speech, “Germany is extremely important for us, especially in terms of other
sectors of our economy, but especially for tourism.”
Alpaslan stated that the tourism sector is a very sensitive sector
affected by factors other than itself and that Turkey, experiencing positive
development following recent troubles, has attained a 25% Turkey's improvement
in tourism compared to the previous year.
- Governor of Istanbul Vasip
Şahin
Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin stated that they regard Istanbul as their
charge from history and civilizations and said, “We are sensitive to our role
as protector. At times we may have come short of what İstanbul deserves in
execution but it is necessary to admit this in order to improve. In any case
Istanbul is a beautiful city.”
Şahin emphasized that the third airport is an important infrastructure
investment in meeting existing as well as future needs, stated that Istanbul
will become even more important as a meeting point when the opening takes
place.
- FVW Editor-in-Chief Klaus
Hildebrandt
Klaus Hildebrandt, FVW Editor-in-Chief, pointed out that Istanbul is a
city with great potential, “But in terms of German tourists, I do not think it has
reached its potential. Tourism brings people, nations and countries together. That
is why we are here.”
- TÜRSAB President Firuz
Bağlıkaya
TÜRSAB President Firuz stated that tourism plays an important role in
keeping the level of Turkish-German relations at a level that is worthy of the
two countries and said, “Approximately 3 million Turkish citizens living in
Germany are the architects of historical and cultural ties between the two
countries. Tourism flows constitute an important base. Among the most important
tourism markets for Turkey in 2017, we hosted 3.6 million tourists from Germany.
This year, the number of our German guests we have hosted so far in the first 7
months of the year has increased by 20% compared to the same period of the
previous year, reaching 2.3 million. I hope that at the end of the year, we
will have the happiness of having welcomed approximately 4.5 million German
guest in our country. Of the foreign guests visiting Istanbul, German citizens
are in the first place.”