Small tourism businesses in Fethiye will be able to travel free of charge to next week’s Antalya Tourism Fair (ATF), the town’s chamber of craftsmen and artisans announced on Friday.
The Fethiye Chamber of Craftsmen and Artisans (Fethiye Esnaf ve Sanatkârlar Odası), which represents shopkeepers, tradespeople and small service providers, said it would organise a free transfer for members working in tourism who want to attend the fair. Chamber president Kamil Mutlu Demirtaş announced the support, and members can sign up by telephone through the chamber, local news site Fethiye Haber reported. Pick-up points and departure times were not given.
Eighth edition of ATF at ANFAŞ
The eighth International Antalya Tourism Fair, branded ATF Türkiye, runs from 26 to 28 October at the ANFAŞ fair and congress centre in Antalya, about 200 km east of Fethiye by road.
According to details released earlier this month and reported by the state news agency Anadolu, the fair covers about 40,000 square metres and organisers expect participants from more than 100 countries and over 40,000 visitors. Last year’s edition drew participants from 109 countries. Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, the Balkans, the Baltic states and Africa are among the markets expected this year.
The programme lists around 3,000 minutes of sessions with more than 100 speakers, including an ATF Cities Summit and a Youth Tourism Summit. This year’s theme is "Hospitality Intelligence", with panels on digitalisation, artificial intelligence, customer experience and green hotel management. Selçuk Meral, chairman of organiser GMT Fuarcılık, described the event’s approach as on-site marketing, bringing foreign buyers directly to the destination.
Why it matters for Fethiye
Fethiye’s economy depends heavily on small, family-run businesses such as boat-trip operators, guesthouses, restaurants, travel agencies and souvenir shops, many of which cannot afford a stand or a team at international fairs. Trade shows held in the autumn are where many contracts with foreign tour operators for the following summer are discussed.
The fair comes as the western Mediterranean and Aegean coast assesses a mixed season. Antalya province reported strong arrival numbers from Russia, Germany and Poland in the first nine months, while hoteliers further up the coast described autumn occupancy in Bodrum and Kuşadası as weaker than hoped. Nationally, tourism employment has fallen this year.
For residents and buyers considering the area, our guide to living in Fethiye covers neighbourhoods, costs and the local tourism economy.
Sources
- Fethiye’de turizm esnafına Antalya fuarı için ücretsiz transfer desteği (Fethiye Haber)
- Antalya, dünya turizminin profesyonellerini ağırlayacak (AA via Foreks)
Photo: Sıtkı Aksoy / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
