STORY: Turkish tourism industry insider optimistic about 2024
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 22, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 23, 2024
LENGTH: 00:05:35
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the tourist attractions in Türkiye
2. SOUNDBITE (Turkish): KAAN SAHINALP, Türkiye representative of German travel giant TUI

STORYLINE:

A tourism professional said that Türkiye's critical tourism industry ended 2023 on a high note, breaking foreign arrivals and income records, and he expected a buoyant new season in 2024.

Kaan Sahinalp, the Türkiye representative of German travel giant TUI told Xinhua in a recent interview that 70 million foreign travellers are projected for 2024.

He said that the industry, which employs 3 million people in the country all year around, needs to provide sustainable and effective services to make Türkiye a reliable destination in the world.

SOUNDBITE (Turkish): KAAN SAHINALP, Türkiye representative of German travel giant TUI
"While official data has not been published yet, revenues for 2023 were estimated between 50 and 55 billion dollars while foreign arrivals were set to be between 55 and 60 million. We expect 2024 to be even better than the 2023 season.
Despite regional problems, Türkiye is seen as a safe destination by holidaymakers. This is why Türkiye is chosen by travelers.
Also, the national flag carrier Turkish Airlines has ordered hundreds of new aircraft, a potential of 350 planes, including wide-body planes that would carry more passengers from far sides of the world to Turkish destinations.
Travel habits are also changing in the world. In Europe, countries are moving towards 4-day working weeks, and hybrid working conditions are encouraged giving potential holidaymakers the possibility to travel abroad for short holidays. This will positively impact Türkiye's travel hub which is a two-hour flight from a European city.
With all these developments, I think that Türkiye will break a new record in 2024. I believe it will get really close to its target of 70 million foreign visitors and 70 billion dollars in income.
Early reservations are very satisfactory for the moment. They are sensibly higher than in the same period of 2023.
The Turkish tourism industry employs over 3 million people. When you consider this number on the scale of families, the sector affects over 10 million people in Türkiye.
The tourism sector is an important source of income for the Turkish economy and helps narrow the trade deficit gap.
Türkiye is aiming to reach the huge South Asian and Latin American markets, which are very important for us in the long run.
Antalya is also gearing up for a new and successful year after a record-breaking year. The airport is getting a serious makeover to accommodate more holidaymakers. Also, the tourism season there lasts now for at least 10 months of the year with a constant arrival of tourists.
The industry needs to provide sustainable and effective services to continue to become a reliable destination in the world.
I expect 2024 a year of opening to less familiar markets such as the Far East, China, and South America. These countries and regions currently send their travelers to destinations such as Cappadocia, and I think we should promote that."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)