The Turkish tourism sector is in need of special incentives for revival, especially during the slow winter months, according to the managing director of Corendon Airlines. Antalya is the only spot that can succeed in tourism during the winter with its large facilities that offer indoor activities, he says



Corendon aims to increase the number of its planes to seven with two new-generation planes next year. In the upcoming years, it plans to replace all of its conventional aircraft with new-generation aircraft.
Despite constituting 25 percent of Turkey’s exports, the tourism sector does not benefit from special government incentives, the manager of an airline firm based in the southern city of Antalya said.

Commenting on tourism sector’s problems from the perspective of tour operators, hotel management and airline transportation, Yıldıray Karaer, managing director of Corendon Airlines, which serves tourists traveling from the Netherlands to Turkey, said it is not possible to increase the country’s share in tourism solely through the efforts of hotel owners.

“Although tourism covers 25 percent of Turkey’s exports, there is no special incentive,” he said, suggesting a reduction in value added tax and energy costs as well as in airport landing and stopover costs.

“The efforts of airline firms and hotels will not be enough to revive tourism. A hotel that sells room for 50 euros during summer reduces the amount to 20 euros during the winter to attract tourists, but this happens without a decrease [in input costs],” he said. “During the winter, only Antalya can achieve something in Turkey. İzmir, Kuşadası, Dalaman, Marmaris, Fethiye and Bodrum close completely as the facilities there do not draw tourists’ attention in winter. However, with its indoor areas, pools and entertainment opportunities at large facilities, it is possible to spend time in Antalya.”

“We want some support for state airports, airport operators and fuel firms that would reduce our costs,” he said. “Similarly, we want the government to encourage the sector.”

Karaer said tourists from Germany and Belgium are not required to pay for visas when they arrive at a Turkish airport but that tourists coming from the Netherlands are.

Bike riders to come to Finike

Corendon, a well-known tour operator in the Netherlands and Belgium, has a 25-30 percent market share in the Netherlands and 6-7 percent in Belgium.

In an attempt to diversify tourism, the firm brings around 5,000 golfers to Belek annually. It also brings first and second league teams of the Netherlands and Belgium for camp in Belek in January. Noting that Corendon carries tennis and baseball teams to Turkey, Karaer said the company planned to bring nearly 1,500 bike riders from Belgium to Finike, a district 90 minutes west of the city of Antalya, during the winter months. The bikes will arrive in Finike, then the cyclists, he said. “The bikes will stay here, but the bikers will change,” he added. “Bike roads have been constructed in the region.”

Corendon has tried to minimize the effects of the economic crisis by reducing costs and narrowing its capacities. “We have changed product types amid the crisis. As people have cut their expenses, we have started to offer three-star or four-star facilities or holiday opportunities at more convenient conditions in five-star facilities.”

He said the firm has tried to maintain the same number of passengers it had in 2008. “In 2008, we brought around 250,000 tourists from Belgium and the Netherlands. And we would like to attain the same figure this year. There is no decline in the number, but our revenues have dropped 5-6 percent.”

In the company’s airline division, fuel prices have been fixed, and the product range and flight destinations have been expanded, he said. “We have increased the number of planes from three to five. In addition to our main markets, the Netherlands and Belgium, we have also added Poland, Denmark, Israel, Italy and Romania.”

As a tour operator, Corendon ranks among the top five firms in the Netherlands and the top three in Belgium, Karaer said. The firm aims to increase the number of its planes to seven with two new-generation planes next year. In the upcoming years, Corendon plans to replace its conventional aircraft with new-generation aircraft. “This way, we will both have a more economical fleet and a way to reach long-route markets, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland and Scandinavia,” he said.