HUNDREDS of letters are to be sent to German tour agents and expat citizens from Didim in a bid to revive what is shaping up to be one of the worst years for tourism.
With latest statistics showing that Turkey had its worst return for tourists in April since 1999, Didim mayor Deniz Atabay has launched a letter writing campaign appealing for tour companies in Germany.
Mr Atabay said that about 500 letters had so far been sent out to agents extolling the virtues of Didim and Turkey as well as inviting residents, formerly from Didim but now living in Germany to revisit the area.
Didim Mayor Deniz Atabay with the letter being sent to German travel agents and expats
He acknowledged that tourism in Turkey had been badly affected by ongoing terrorism acts of recent months, with thousands of tourists shifting their vacations to Europe, particularly Spain.
In the letter, he said terrorism was a global problem and that it can happen anywhere, citing Belgium and Paris as examples.
He said: “Our country has experienced the same problems, but ordinary life continues. We tell them we are a secular country. We will continue our fight for the values we believe in.
“In this context, we are trying to reach out to tourism companies in Germany and Didim expatriates and inviting them here.”
The letter highlights Didim’s rich heritage, its 16 Blue flagged beaches around its coast, as well as the likes of Temple of Apollo, Miletus, Priene and Bafa Lake to enjoy.
Recent improvements
He added that work on the sewer system from Hunter’s Valley to Dolphin Square continued, with several streets being blockpaved in time for the tourism season.
The main road to Yesilkent has also been tarmacked to improve driving conditions, while Aydem has moved the electric wires underground. There are also plans for sidewalks and bike paths in the future.
A delegation of German travel agents visited the town this week to discover more about the resort.
Meanwhile, this week it was estimated that Turkey’s losses in tourism revenue may increase up to $15 billion over this year due to rising security concerns and the Russian crisis, according to a leading sector representative.
“Our country’s loss in tourism revenue may increase up to $15 billion over this year and the decline in tourist numbers by 30 percent compared to 2015,” said the head of the Tourism Investors Association (TYD), Murat Ersoy.
Foreign arrivals
The number of foreign arrivals visiting Turkey slumped by 28 percent in April to 1.75 million compared to the same month of 2015, marking the steepest decline since May 1999, according to data by the Tourism Ministry.
The number of foreign people visiting Turkey decreased by 16.5 percent to 5.82 million in the first four months of this year compared to the same period of 2015, data also showed.
In the first three months of 2016, tourism revenue decreased to $4.07 billion with a 16.5 percent drop, according to data that was released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TÜİK) on April 29. Tourism revenue was $31.5 billion in 2015, an 8.3 percent decline compared to the previous year.
The main problem for the sector is that many foreign tour operators are focused on alternative markets, creating new competitors for Turkey, according to Ersoy.
The launch of direct flights to tourism destinations will be crucial, as tour operators halt flights to any destination where they see even minor risk, according to Ersoy.