TÜROB President Eresin's Tourism Week Message

Dear Colleagues,

Esteemed Travel Enthusiasts,

For the past two years, we have celebrated “Tourism Week,” which we mark every year between 15 and 22 April, with somewhat bittersweet and somewhat anxious yet always hopeful feelings due to the pandemic. During this period, when our freedom of movement was reduced to almost zero, when it was impossible to come together, and when we conducted our business lives through virtual means, we could find no remedy for our inner desire to travel, to explore and to discover—nor was it possible to find one. Following these developments, the measures taken against the pandemic around the world and in our country, society’s sense of responsibility, and the positive results of vaccination efforts have begun to promise us a brighter future.

However, in this period when we have begun to leave the effects of the pandemic behind, as the tourism sector we are following with deep sorrow and concern the war and developments that have begun between the Russian Federation and Ukraine—two of our main markets, which together account for approximately 30% of the total tourists coming to our country. I must note with regret that more than 5 million Ukrainian citizens, consisting of women, children and the elderly, have been forced to leave their homes behind, fitting their entire lives into a small bag and abandoning their homeland, and this stands before us as the most significant drama of our time. The foremost wish of our tourism sector, whose very name is synonymous with “peace,” is that the weapons fall silent, that the humanitarian tragedy comes to an end, and that the war ends as soon as possible. The fact that these developments are affecting our country, as they are the world, both economically and socially—and that their effects will be felt over a long period—stands before us as a reality beyond mere expectation.

It is evident that, through the successful investments of our members operating in our sector and the experience they have turned into achievement, they play an important role in the national economy, the tourism infrastructure and the spread of employment. As TÜROB, I would particularly like to state that we take great pride in having jointly laid the pioneering foundations that have increased the competitive power of Turkish tourism and made this power sustainable. During this process, we rose from figures of 2–2.5 million tourists and a bed capacity of 85,000 to more than 50 million tourists and a bed capacity of approximately 1.5 million. The total cost of tourism investments in Turkey today has reached approximately USD 90 billion, and despite the crises experienced, the number of people employed has risen to approximately 1.5 million. The tourism sector, which directly affects 54 sectors, has—with annual purchasing of over approximately USD 30 billion—become, as we all know, one of the locomotive sectors of the economy.

The concept of tourism is, far beyond the familiar notions of traveling, discovering new places and getting to know different cultures, a socio-cultural force, an important diplomatic instrument in foreign relations, and—especially in tourism-brand countries such as Turkey—a sector that has become a fundamental pillar of the economy. Tourism is a living industry with a spirit that adds value to both the tourist and the destination, that broadens our vision and that touches all of our lives.

In this sense, our country is in a very fortunate position in terms of its natural and geographical conditions, and it also achieves a competitive advantage with its developed infrastructure and human resources. Ensuring the sustainability of this power and value by extending tourism to all 81 of our provinces is the common duty of the entire society, foremost among them the public authorities as well as we sector stakeholders.

The foundation of a collective success can be laid by passing on tolerance, forbearance and an awareness of proper communication—the most important criteria of tourism—as a social duty to all our citizens, our institutions and our businesses. As TÜROB, by always acting with this awareness and responsibility, we will continue our efforts to add value to our country in the best possible way.

With these feelings and thoughts, I would like to underline once again the importance of tourism for a better future and a better life. I celebrate the Tourism Week of our entire tourism community, our devoted tourism workers and our people, and I extend my affection and respect to my esteemed colleagues.

Müberra ERESİN

President of TÜROB - Turkish Hoteliers Association