Tourism in turkey

Tourism 

As a country full of traces of various cultures that have influenced their time and geography, Turkey has a cultural heritage with roots going as deep as the first civilizations ever recorded in history. Home to a mosaic of people that have built empires, the country’s riches are so extraordinarily diverse that visitors can experience a modern way of life, while at the same time catching a glimpse of the distant past.

All this makes Turkey a land that shaped history, where the sea meets the mountains and where cultures meet each other. For this reason, Turkey is increasingly regarded as one of the most popular holiday destinations by people who are seeking a perfect combination of nature, history and culture.

• Turkey was visited by 26.5 million tourists in 2008 and by 27.3 million tourists in 2009. With this number of tourists, Turkey ranked the 8th and 7th most visited country in the world respectively in 2008 and 2009.
• Turkey received USD 22 billion of tourism revenue in 2008, and USD 21.3 billion in 2009.
• The tourism sector’s target is to be among the top five countries in the world in terms of attracting the highest number of tourists and receiving the highest amount of tourism revenue by 2023.
• Istanbul is the “European Capital of Culture” in 2010.
• Istanbul is the 3rd most visited city in Europe, following London and Paris, as of 2008. (Euromonitor International)
• Istanbul is the 17th most popular destination with 80 congresses and conventions held in 2009. (International Congress and Convention Association - ICCA)
• Turkish Airlines was selected as the “Best Airline of Southern Europe” in 2010. (Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• Turkish Airlines was awarded the “World's Best Economy Class Onboard Catering” in 2010. (Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• TAV Ankara Esenboga Airport was selected as the best airport in Europe in “5-10 million passenger” category in 2009. (Airports Council International - ACI)
• In 2009, the number of airline passengers in Turkey exceeded 85.2 million.
• TAV Istanbul Ataturk Airport was selected as the “Best Airport in Southern Europe” in 2010. (Skytrax World Airline Awards)
• In 2009, the share of tourism revenues in GDP was 3.4 percent, while they accounted for a
  20.8 percent share in the country’s export earnings.
• In terms of geothermal tourism potential, Turkey is among the top seven countries in the world and ranks 2nd in Europe with its 1,300 thermal springs. Bed availability in thermal vacation resorts has reached 35,000.

In Turkey, there are 20 ski centers, 14 golf courses and around 40 marinas. Within the framework of the “Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage”, which came into force in 1983, there are 878 cultural or natural sites worldwide registered in the World Heritage List as of 2008. Nine of these sites (the Historic Areas of Istanbul, the City of Safranbolu, Hattushash (Bogazkoy)-the Hittite Capital, Mt. Nemrut, Xanthos-Letoon, the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigi, the legendary city of Troy, Pamukkale-Hierapolis and Goreme National Park in Cappadocia) are listed as both cultural and natural heritage sites.

Source:
Turkish Ministry of Tourism and Culture website (www.kultur.gov.tr)
INSIGHT YASED, July 2009
 

Strengths Availability of an excellent coastline, a wide range of natural attractions, unique historical and archaeological sites and a suitable climate Know-how in the hospitality sector Well-trained workforce Strong government support behind the industry		Weaknesses Average prices are lower than the neighboring countries, and there is stiff price competition among the many competitors in the Turkish market Increasing input costs Unrecorded transactions and tax avoidance among smaller, less organized businesses in the sector

Opportunities Unutilized potential not only in coastal tourism but also in various other types of tourism including health & thermal resources, winter sports, golfing, yachting, etc. Availability of young and knowledgeable workforce Further liberalization in the aviation market Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture		Threats Strengthening TL against other main currencies High level of special consumption tax on alcohol 3% tax on daily accommodation charges