TRAVEL WORLD MEETS AT THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL RESORT TOURISM CONGRESS

The 9th International Resort Tourism Congress that aims to make Turkey a stronger brand in the future of the global travel industry was held with the theme “Tourism of the Future, The Future of Tourism.”

The congress organized in Antalya on 27-28 November, 2019 by the Union of Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators (AKTOB) was attended by Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Governor of Antalya Münir Karaloğlu, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee M. İlker Aycı, Mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Muhittin Böcek, AKTOB Chairman Dr. Erkan Yağcı, and senior representatives of the domestic and international travel world.

Leading names of the world tourism sector attended the congress as speakers and addressed the current situation of the tourism sector in Turkey and around the world, as well as leading trends in the travel industry. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the

Executive Committee. M. İlker Aycı gave a speech titled “Developments in the Aviation Sector.”

In his speech, Aycı stated that in 2018, Turkey regained sixth place in the world rankings, attracting 39.5 million tourists. This number increased by 14.5% in the first nine months of 2019, with the country hosting 36.4 million tourists. Aycı emphasized the flag carrier’s contributions to the Turkish economy and discussed its targets for the future.

Stating that Turkish Airlines operates flights to 316 cities in 126 countries, that it has carried 75.2 million passengers in 2018, and has ranked 15th in seat occupancy rates in the global market, Aycı highlighted that the global carrier’s target is rising to 10th place in 2023 and carrying 120 million passengers annually with a fleet of 500 aircraft.

Speaking about the “Direct Tourism Endeavor” protocol signed between Turkish Airlines and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2018, Aycı added, “With the direct flights we launched as part of the ‘Direct Tourism Endeavor’ we aim to make our country a primary address for quality tourists. An increase in the scheduled flights we offer from major cities in Europe and the Middle East to our holiday resorts, which especially in the summer season host millions of tourists, has contributed immensely to the record success of our tourism sector this year.”