New Focus Travel Magazine September - October 2017

September / October ’2017 No: 156

World Heritage city Mardin ITE HCMC 2017 celebrates 50th Anniversary TCEB - IMFT fam trip Destinasyon Luang Prabang

EDITOR’S NOTE Non-Stop tourism utumn arrives, summer ends in many countries. But tourism continues to grow all around the world. Despite many tragic events such as war and terror continue to happen in many places, tourism continues to expand.

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People continue to travel, visit different countries, experience and learn new cultures. People in different parts of the globe have differences in life and cultural values but with the help of tourism they get closer and socialize. We believe that at the end tourism will bring peace.

In this issue, we present you a very good example of a city located in Turkey’s southeastern region; Mardin that peacefully housed people having different cultures, religions and ethnicity. Besides being a city that shows peace and fellowship, Mardin is also an interesting Turkish city famous with its cuisine, architecture, and cultural texture. I hope you will enjoy our cover story.

Suat Töre

I was in Laos’s Luang Prabang, an important city for its history and mystic that hosted 4-day long Mekong Tourism Forum (MTF). I hope my destination article for Luang Prabang would be enough to add the city to their travel bucket list.

Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) organized its annual media event, TCEB International Media Familiarization Trip, or IMFT2017 to provide a first-hand experience of Thailand’s readiness and capability as a regional MICE hub in Asia, under the theme “CONNECT Thailand: Kingdom of Bleisure”. News and photos are in this issue.

In this first issue of autumn, you will find several interesting and informative tourism news.

Contents 22

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4 New Focus | September / October 2017

6 Turkey News 13 Inbrief 14 World News 20 Airlines 21 Hotels 22 Cover Story 30 Destinasyon - Luang Prabang 40 Fam Trip - IMFT 44 Bülten 50 Kısa Kısa

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Turkey news New Turkish Tourism Minister set Turkey’s tourism targets

The new Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Professor Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş announced his strategic vision how to increase travel and tourism as well as country’s tourism targets in terms or number of arrivals and its contribution to economy.

As Turkey’s tourism begins to recover in 2017, Mr. Kurtulmuş has set a target of 50 million international visitors to Turkey by 2023. While that goal is expected to generate $50 billion in economic impact, Mr. Kurtulmuş said the most valuable result of increasing tourism is forming the foundation for a stronger global community through the better sharing of ideas and values between cultures.

“Few countries have as wide a variety of tourism and cultural attractions as Turkey, including – and, perhaps most importantly – it’s figurative and physical position as a bridge between East and West that embraces visitors from across the globe,” Mr. Kurtulmuş said. “We see this strength as vital to our vision for bringing communities together, and we will invest heavily in public and private partnerships to ensure we are developing these tourism products to diversify our markets and audiences.” Turkey has already made progress towards its goals this year, with tourism to the country up 14.05 percent during the first 6 months of 2017, and up by 36.53 percent in June this year compared to June 2016.

Over the last 3 years the Ministry has seen the potential of social and digital media channels and has been working on social and digital media marketing campaigns with the likes of Google, Facebook, Twitter and most recently Lonely Planet and Matador Network on a collaborative campaigns via the www. hometurkey.com. Turkey is now the second most popular destination on social media with just over 6 million followers globally.

“Turkey is one of the most diverse destinations in the world, with a richness of history, archeology, gastronomy and geography from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, combined with art and culture that spans the ages yet is at the forefront modern innovation,” Mr. Kurtulmuş said.

“I invite travelers from all over the world to discover the beauty of our country, whether the new UNESCO World Heritage site in Aphrodisias or its mesmerizing Turquoise coast. With so many varied characteristics, combined with Turkey’s history of hospitality from millennia of civilizations making the land their home, we have the potential to enrich our global community through cultural diplomacy.”

Turkey presents a new promotional film

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry has made a new promotional short film with a theme of poetry, featuring several iconic sites from Turkey, was aired on ministry’s social media accounts. Short film called "Home of Poetry" has been prepared within the scope of the country's global tourism and cultural campaign "Turkey Home" launched by the ministry in 2014.

The promotional video consists of a main advertisement film lasting over three minutes; three other shorter movies have been shot in ancient lands of Turkey across 12 cities.

Inspired by Turkey's tradition of poetry, the advertisement project features verses from famous Turkish poets such as Atilla Ilhan, Ilhan Berk, Yahya Kemal Beyatli, Edip Cansever and Fazil Husnu Daglarca to promote the country's beauty and charm besides its historical heritage, the ministry said.

6 New Focus | September / October 2017

Turkey’s Tourism income jumps

Turkey’s tourism income has shown strong recovery in the second quarter of the year. In the second quarter, from April through June, tourism income increased by 8.7% and reached to US$5 billion 413 million 48 thousand. While 81.3% of this income (excluding GSM roaming and marina service expenditures) was obtained from foreign visitors, 18.7% was obtained from citizens residing abroad.

According to the Turkish Tourism Statistics report by the Turkish Statistic Institute (TUIK), in the second quarter of the year, average expenditure of the foreigners was US$570 per capita, average expenditure of the Turkish citizens residing abroad was US$845 per capita.

Visitors organize their travel individually or with package tour. While individual expenditures constituted US$4 billion 442 million 643 thousand of the total tourism income, US$ 970 million 405 thousand of tourism income was obtained by package tour expenditures.

In this quarter number of departing visitors increased by 18.3% compared to same quarter of previous year and reached to 8 million 863 thousand 391 persons. While 86.6% of visitors was foreign with 7 million 675 thousand 32 persons, 13.4% of them was Turkish citizens resident abroad with 1 million 188 thousand 359 persons.

Tourism expenditure which is the expenditure of the Turkish citizens resident in Turkey and visited abroad, decreased by 8.2% compared to same quarter of previous year and declined to $ 1 billion 386 million 362 thousand. While $ 1 billion 125 million 951 thousand of total expenditures was individual expenditures, $ 260 million 411 thousand of tourism expenditures was package tour expenditures.

Number of Tourists visiting Istanbul is on the rise

Tourism in Istanbul is continuing its recovery from the effects of the 2015-16 terror attacks. The Istanbul Culture and Tourism Directorate announced city’s travel statistics for July 2017. Istanbul’s tourist arrivals boom compare to July 2016. The directorate said that total tourist arrivals to the city in July 2017 increased 43% compare to July 2016. Germany ranked No.1 source market for Istanbul.

The tourist arrivals continue to rise since April 2017.

Istanbul welcomed 5,704,702 tourists in the first 7 months of 2017; an increase of 6.3% compare to same period last year.

In July 2017, a total of 1,319,549 tourists visited Istanbul; an increase of 42.7% compare to July 2016.

German tourists ranked top with 538,945 travelers, Iran followed with 427,018 travelers. Saudi Arabia ranked third with 294,401 travelers.

In the first 7 months of 2017, German tourists are the number 1 source market for Istanbul tourism. The top source markets and their percentages are as follows: Germany: 9.4%, Iran: 7.5%, Saudi Arabia: 5.2%, Iraq: 4.7%, Russia: 4.4%, France: 3.5%, UK: 3.5%, Ukraine: 3.1%, USA: 2.9%, The Netherlands: 2.6%, Kuwait: 2.4%, Turkmenistan: 2.1%, Azerbaijan: 2.0%, China: 1.9%, Algeria: 1.8%, Other countries: 43.0%

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Turkey news

The 86th Izmir International Fair organized, Russia was partner country

Izmir International Fair (IEF) is held for the 86th time between August 18-27, 2017. The Izmir International Fair is the oldest tradeshow in Turkey, considered the cradle of Turkey's fairs and expositions industry, and is also notable for hosting a series of simultaneous festival activities.

Russia was the partner country of the fair in 2017. Izmir Mayor Aziz Kocaoğlu stated that the Russian Federation has prepared for a wide participation with the ministers and CEOs of large corporations, "This cooperation should not be considered only in economic terms. The meeting in İzmir will strengthen the political and social relations between the two countries as well as friendship ties."

The main theme of the İzmir International Fair, which is organized for the 86th time by the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality’s event company İZFAŞ, was ‘energy’ this year.

During the fair, many meetings were held with the Russian Federation to establish new cooperations developing economic-commercial, social-cultural relations. In the field of energy, common grounds for new cooperation between the two countries will be sought. Presentations for both country were made at the meetings along with bilateral business talks at business forums. Local and foreign fair participants were able to meet with top foreign delegations and national commercial representatives.

Turkish government extends Eid al-Adha holiday

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag announced that The Eid al–Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) holiday has been extended to 10 days in Turkey. The Eid al-Adha holiday started on August 28 and ended on September 3.

Earlier, President of Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED) Osman Ayik commented that the extension of the holiday will be good for the industry. He expects a high volume of tourism movement within the country. Ayik also said that local tourists will not only travel to seaside destinations but also to Anatolia in order to visit their families and relatives to celebrate the Eid alAdha holiday together.

President of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers Association (AKTOB) Erkan Yagci said that it is difficult to guess how many will travel for holiday but he expects that occupancy in hotels will reach to 100% during the holiday period.

8 New Focus | September / October 2017

Applications Open for 4th Annual Turkish American Youth Congress,

The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) is accepting applications for the 4th Annual Turkish American Youth Leadership Congress. Held every year in Washington, DC, this year’s Youth Congress will be held October 26-29, 2017.

The Youth Leadership Congress is open to undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates of Turkish American heritage who wish to become active in American civic and political life, contribute to U.S.-Turkey relations and the Turkish American community, and who are committed to advancing the TCA mission.

TCA will select up to 25 young Turkish Americans to participate in this exclusive, all-expenses-paid forum. Participants will have the opportunity to: • Expand their knowledge of U.S.-Turkey relations and the political systems of both countries • Meet members of Congress, diplomats and policy experts • Increase their awareness of Turkish historical heritage in the United States and issues of importance to Turkish Americans • Learn about effective advocacy in the American political system • Develop leadership skills • Become more active members of the Turkish American community • Establish networks with peers from across the United States The Youth Congress will include discussions with U.S. congressional staff, American and Turkish diplomats and scholars, and representatives of Turkish American community organizations. There will also be several opportunities to network with leaders in U.S.-Turkish relations and with other young Turkish Americans. Finally, the program will feature events highlighting the cultural and national landmarks of Washington, DC. TCA will provide assistance for transportation and/or lodging to individuals selected to attend the Congress.

Please contact scholarships@tc-america.org with any questions.

Istanbul is 13th cheapest city for taxi ride

Istanbul is the 13th cheapest city for taxi ride, with a cost of US $2.92 for a 3km ride, according to a new survey. Zurich named the most expensive city for 3 km fare with US$25.25, followed by Geneva with US$17.53. Following the two Swiss cities, Tokyo ranked 3rd most expensive city for 3km taxi ride with US$15.95.

When you consider taxi fares between airport and city center, Tokyo ranked most expensive with a ride cost US$189.91. Followed by Milan with US$101.62. Oslo ranked 3rd with a fare of US$86.51.

Meanwhile Cairo ranked cheapest in the world with US$0.55 for 3 km taxi ride, followed by Mumbai (US$1.40), Bucharest (US$1.47), Jakarta (US$1.47). Cairo (US$4.20), Mumbai (US$4.44), and Tunis (US$4.49) are the cheapest cities for a taxi ride between airport and city center.

Istanbul ranked 13th with US$2.92 for 3 km ride and 26th for rides between airport and city center, average cost measured as US$24.21.

Online used car dealership Carspring have produced the study revealing the price of taxi use in 80 cities around the world. To compile the Taxi Price Index, they researched the cost of hailing a taxi, the cost per kilometer, the cost of waiting time, and the typical fare for a taxi from the airport to the city center.

“Nothing beats the relief of hopping into a comfortable taxi after a long day of sightseeing in a new city,” says Carspring CEO Maximilian Vollenbroich. “

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Turkey news Electronic Ban lifted on Turkish Airlines flights to US

The electronic ban concerning electronic devices that was implemented on US arrival flights since March 25 has ended on July 5. Turkish Airlines passengers traveling to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport from Istanbul Atatürk Airport carried their electronic devices on the 6:45 a.m. flight number TK-3.

After lifting the ban on this first flight, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee of Turkish Airlines Mr. M. İlker Aycı said; ‘‘During 102 days, 81,736 electronic devices were carefully collected from our passengers at gates by our staff and carried in overprotected baggage on 1,087 flights to the US. 75 percent of devices were laptops and tablets, 25 percent of devices consisted of cameras, GPS devices and e-readers. I would like to express my gratitude to all my collagues who carried out this operation with a sense of mission and sensibility”.

Electronics ban lifts on UK flights from Turkey

Turkey’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, announced that after the electronics ban lifted on flights to United States, the same ban was lifted on its UK bound flights.

Britain joined the United States in imposing restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from certain countries in the Middle East and Africa in March, in response to unspecified security threats.

Passengers now can carry all their concerned devices at cabin during their flight.

The electronic ban concerning electronic devices that was implemented on UK arrival flights since March has ended on Friday. While the United States ended its ban earlier in July, Britain has kept the restrictions in place until now.

Passengers will now be allowed to carry laptops and tablets on Turkish Airlines flights from Istanbul’s Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen airports, and Pegasus Airline flights from Sabiha Gokcen and Izmir, Britain’s Department for Transport said in a statement.

Turkish travelers search cheap flights to Kharkiv and Kiev

Following the new agreement, now citizens of Turkey and Ukraine can travel to each other’s countries without passports; with ID cards that contain a bio chip. As the passport free travel starts, Turkish travelers’ search on flight tickets to Kharkiv and Kiev skyrocket.

Leading global travel search engine, Skyscanner announced that searching for cheap flight tickets to Kharkiv increased by 114% in the last 6 months.

The increase to Kiev is 105% and for Lviv 26%.

Kharkiv or in Russian Kharkov, located in the northeast of Ukraine, is the second largest city in the country with a population of over 1.5 million inhabitants. Thanks to the European Football Championship in 2012, which was hosted

by Poland and Ukraine, the city has a modern reconstructed airport and the city has Cyrillic and English signs in the city center.

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The city boasts a unique UNESCO world heritage site with splendid Golden domed churches. You will find art and culture, great restaurants, bars and fascinating sightseeing. Besides all, Kiev is also the cheapest of the world’s large cities to live in.

Lviv is the largest city in western Ukraine. The city and its architecture give you a feeling that you are traveling a Central European city. With its UNESCO-protected old town, the city does more than the rest of Ukraine to attract visitors and it’s been rewarded with the status of Ukraine’s number-one tourist destination.

10 New Focus | September / October 2017

Turkey news

The 24th Istanbul Jazz Festival mesmerized audience

The 24th Istanbul Jazz Festival was held 4-21 July 2017. Over 20.000 festival audiences watched more than 200 local and foreign artists at more than 50 concerts at 20 different venues.

Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and sponsored by Garanti Bank for 20 years, the 24th Istanbul Jazz Festival kicked off with the opening ceremony and concerts at the Consulate General of Austria, Austrian Cultural Office Garden on Tuesday, 4 July. Fatih Erkoç, one of the veteran names of Turkish pop and jazz music, took the stage for the first performance of the 2017 Istanbul Jazz Festival. After Fatih Erkoç, electro swing band DELADAP from Austria energized the audience, let them dance with their music.

Before the concerts, an award ceremony took place. The 24th Istanbul Jazz Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Kamil Özler, the conductor of TRT Big Band, and Fatih Erkoç, one of the veteran names of Turkish pop and jazz music.

The festival programme included a range of jazz, funk, world music, blues and rock performances, with highlights including “Beyond The Memory” concert where famous stars paid tribute to the cult flamenco guitarist and composer Paco De Lucia, the young star of vocal jazz Kandance Springs, masters Jacky Terrasson & Stephane Belmondo, one of the legendary names of European jazz Nik Bärtsch, and two delightful voices from Africa Fatoumata Diawara and Hindi Zahra. The “JUNUN” project, which had been initially led by Radiohead’s guitarist Jonny Greenwood, is among the guests of this year’s festival.

This year’s festival featured a remarkable innovation titled “ViTRin”: Showcase for Contemporary Music from Turkey which aims to focus on the successful musicians and ensembles of the local scene, for a wider outreach with the support of SOCAR Turkey. ViTRin included several festival concerts that were open to the festival audience as well as leading representatives of the international music industry.

The music marathon “Night Out” and the free of charge, open air event “Jazz in the Parks” were held on the Asian side of Istanbul as part of the festival programme. The festival featured “A Childlike Day”, a special event that includes performances and workshops for children.

12 New Focus | September / October 2017

Tourist arrivals continue to rise in July

The number of foreigners visiting Turkey continues to increase in July 2017. Following 43% increase in June 2017, the number of foreigners visiting Turkey increased by 46.36% in July 2017, compared to July 2016.

According to the tourism statistics announced by the Tourism Ministry, the number of arriving foreigners in Turkey in July 2017 has reached 5,075,961.

The number of arriving foreigners in Turkey between January-July 2017 increased by 21.94% compared to the same period of the previous year.

The number of arriving foreigners in Turkey between January-July 2017 has reached 17,325,410 with 21.94% increase compared to the same period of the previous year.

Russian Federation takes the first place by its share of %16.46 (835,525) in the comparison of arriving foreign visitors by nationality in July 2017, Germany takes the second place by its share of % 13,41 (680,616) as well as UK is the third country by its share of %5.48 (277,955). Georgia and Iran follow UK. Russian Fed. takes the first place by its share of 14.59% (2,527,628) in the comparison of arriving foreign visitors by nationality in January-July 2017, Germany takes the second place by its share of 11.12% (1,927,360) as well as Georgia is the third country by its share of 7.72% (1,338,295). Iran and Bulgaria follow Georgia.

In the first seven months of the year, a total of 7.1 million tourists visited Turkey from Europe, with a 7.1 percent year-on-year increase.

In Brief Volkan Kalkan named General Manager of Mersin Wonasis Aqua Resort Hotel.

Gürsel Karadeniz has been appointed to Macedonia Ramada Plaza Gevgelija as General Manager.

Mauritius Maritim Crystals Beach Hotel appointed Erdinç Savul as General Manager.

Ercüment Uluçer is the new General Manager of Titanic Business Bayrampaşa.

Aydın Duran is the new General Manager of Divan Cizre.

Radisson Blu Bosphorus Hotel Istanbul announced Rob Kucera as its new General Manager.

Dilek Ergun has been appointed Martı Hemithea Boutique Hotel as General Manager.

Uluç Aklar is the new General Manager of Hilton Garden Inn Sivas.

Volkan Öztürkler is the new General Manager of Crowne Plaza Florya.

Alper Can Bulcum named General Manager of The St. Regis Istanbul.

Dedeman İstanbul appoints Tunay Erdal as General Manager.

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WORLD news World’s Top 5 Most liveable cities in 2017 The Economist's liveability rankings for 2017 show that world’s top 5 most liveable urban centers are not changed.

For the seventh consecutive year, Melbourne in Australia is the most liveable city, closely followed by the Austrian capital, Vienna.

Only 0.1 percentage points separate the top two cities, and just 0.2 and 0.3 percentage points separate Canada’s Vancouver and Toronto (ranked 3rd and 4th, respectively), from Melbourne. Another Canadian city, Calgary, shares joint fifth place with Adelaide in Australia.

Although the top five cities remain unchanged, the past few years have seen increasing instability across the world, causing volatility in the scores of many cities. In Europe, cities have been affected by the spreading perceived threat of terrorism in the region. At the same time, this year cities Melbourne such as Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, and the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, have benefited from an increasing cultural availability and falling crime rates, enabling them to register improvements in living conditions.

Over the past six months 35 of the 140 cities surveyed have experienced changes in their ranking position. This rises to 44 cities, or about one-third of the total number surveyed, when looking at changes over the past 12 months.

Overall, the survey shows a higher incidence of positive index movements. In fact, of the 17 cities with an index movement since last year, 12 have seen an improvement in their score, reflecting positive developments in other categories, despite heightened threats of terrorism or unrest with which cities around the world continue to grapple.

Violent acts of terrorism have been reported in many countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, France, Pakistan, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the US. While not a new phenomenon, the frequency and spread of terrorism have increased noticeably and become even more prominent.

On the flip side, however, cities moving up the ranking are located largely in countries that have enjoyed periods of relative stability after previously reported falls in liveability. These include, for example, Kiev in Ukraine, Tripoli in Libya and Colombo in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, the improvements have been marginal and have not seen liveability recover from previous levels or resulted in large shifts up the ranking. Amsterdam, Reykjavik, Budapest, Singapore and Montevideo are among those that have seen both their ranks improve. In total, there are 12 cities with scores that have improved over the past 12 months, up from seven.

Overall, the global average liveability score has fallen by 0.8% to 74.8% over the past five years. Weakening stability has been a key factor in driving this decrease. The average global stability score has fallen by 2% over the past five years, from 73.4% in 2012 to 71.4% now.

Over five years, 95 of the 140 cities surveyed have seen some change in their overall liveability scores. Of these cities, an overwhelming 66 have seen declines in liveability, but there is a silver lining, as this number is actually down from 69 just six months ago. Two cities in particular, Damascus in Syria and Kiev, have seen significant declines of 16 and 21 percentage points respectively, illustrating that conflict is, unsurprisingly, the key factor in Vienna undermining wider liveability.

Although the most liveable cities in the world remain largely unchanged, there has been movement within the top tier of liveability. Of the 65 cities with scores of 80 or more, six have seen a change in score in the past 12 months.

While most cities in the top tier have registered an improvement in their scores, two of them, Manchester in the UK and Stockholm in Sweden, have seen their scores decline as a result of recent, high-profile terrorist attacks.

Over the past few years several US cities have registered declines in their scores. This stems in part from unrest related to a number of deaths of black people at the hands of police officers. In addition, the country has seen protests held in response to President Trump’s policies and executive orders.

Sydney in Australia is another city that has seen a decline in its ranking, reflecting growing concerns over possible terror attacks in the past three years. Sydney now ranks outside the top ten most liveable cities, at number 11, down from seventh place just over a year ago.

14 New Focus | September / October 2017

The new trend: Europe’s river cruises Europe's river cruise industry continues its growth path, with 1.36 million cruise passengers sailing on Europe's rivers in 2016, up 2.7 percent from the previous year. Almost 39 percent of last year's guests came from the US and Canada.

"North America turns into an ever more important source market for Europe's river cruise operators, as does the UK with a spectacular eleven percent leap in terms of passengers last year", says Frederik Erdmann, European River Cruise Correspondent for Seatrade.

With the growth of overseas guests, Europe's rivers also see the arrival of new ships – and new concepts. Last year, 22 new riverships entered service in Europe (out of a global orderbook of 31), another 17 will follow this year. "We are seeing new visions, new ideas and new concepts arriving, with Crystal River Cruises' Crystal Bach and Crystal Mahler being inaugurated late this summer as two spectacular examples. Technologically, the successful return of paddle wheel propulsion has made new destinations available – particularly along rivers with a shallow or seasonally varying water level", Erdmann continues.

On the other hand, Europe's river cruise industry also faces a number of challenges: Rules and regulations continue being highly diversified from country to country, certain touristic hotspots are facing signs of congestion, recruiting good crew is getting increasingly difficult, and security is a critical issue in river cruising as much as in ocean cruising. "One of the most important among all is rescheduling the time and the place of docking. The reasons are mostly due to the low water level or overbooking for one of the terminals during the high summer season. Since there are five passenger terminals on river Danube and river Drava, at a distance of only 150 km, we have to reschedule cruise passengers to the nearest passenger terminal, so their shore excursions can continue without delay and our passengers stay satisfied", Alen Jakumetovć, Managing Director, Port Authority of Vukovar, comments on the issue of high capacity utilisation.

The safety and security of river cruise passengers has never been tighter, and Lucas Sandmeier, General Manager Operation, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, gives an insight on how to marry up the increase in demand with levels of security: "The challenge is to find ways to not compromising the very arguments that lead to the success of river cruise. Combine this with the ever increasing demands to provide security to its travellers, the equally increasing number of regulations and desires from authorities, regulators, governments and unions as well as the introduction of technology to deliver a guest experience, and the mix may produce a product that has little resemblance to the so successful river cruise of today".

Monic van der Heyden, Commercial Manager Cruise for Port of Amsterdam, also offers a statement on the topic of security for river cruise ports: "Security is a joint responsibility of the industry, port authorities, but also of crew and passengers. The topic is at the focus of all parties involved. Some river cruise companies are working individually on security guidelines and regulations".

Still, while challenges are lurking in different fields, Europe's river cruise industry is not at all short of optimism.

Perspectives for the years ahead look altogether promising: "It's a great time to be in river cruising, with new ships, new destinations and new concepts keeping the industry fresh and innovative", comments Ben Wirz, Managing Director, GRC Global River Cruises GmbH, "here at Uniworld, we're particularly excited about the launch of a new concept in 2018 aimed at capturing the millennial market – U by Uniworld. As our guests become more independent, design innovations ensure we keep on exceeding their expectations, while advances in technology allow us to continue to reduce emissions and work towards a more sustainable future for the rivers we sail".

As river cruising in Europe is fluctuating, ocean-going cruise lines are now looking to expand into this market, including the prominent example of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines who launched their new dedicated river cruise programme for 2018 onboard the 156-guest rivercruise ship Brabant. Justin Stanton, sales and marketing director for Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, is excited to see the new offer taking off next year: "We are proud to be bringing our many decades of expertise and rich sailing heritage to the river cruise market for the very first time".

These opportunities and challenges of river cruising in Europe will be subject to debate at Seatrade Europe 2017, taking place in Hamburg from 6 – 8 September. There will be dedicated conference sessions focusing on two major river cruise topics: The "Identifying river innovation" session will concentrate specifically on new designs, new ships and innovative concepts, and it will also look at trend changes and the evolution of passenger requirements.

The second session, "Shore activities and turnarounds - a security risk for Europe's rivership guests?" concentrates on another aspect of the business – the need to provide a secure environment for passengers exploring some of Europe's major capitals and cities during the course of their river cruise.

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WORLD news Hoteliers say “Being bookable and visible online is our No. 1 business focus” A report by the global hotel industry’s leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, has found that the ability to grow direct bookings and online presence is the top business focus for hotels this year. According to the report, the ability to increase direct bookings and grow online presence is a higher business priority for hoteliers than mobile bookings or personalisation to enhance the guest experience.

The paradox, SiteMinder says, is that in spite of 95 percent of respondents ranking ‘driving guests to book direct’ as a challenge, only 37 percent nominated ‘exploring new hotel technology and systems’ as a high priority for their hotel business.

Over the 12 months ending June 2016, hotel customers of SiteMinder generated US$16 billion in revenue using the company’s cloud-based booking and distribution technology – a 116 percent rise from the same period two years prior. Of the US$16 billion, US$1.05 billion was made through SiteMinder’s direct booking engine, TheBookingButton, to represent a 43 percent year-on-year increase.

Mike Ford says, “We are clearly witnessing an unprecedented rise in online bookings – both direct and via third party channels. With the ability to be set up within days and pay a flat monthly fee as little as £28 ongoing, SiteMinder’s solutions are examples of how simple it can be for hoteliers to achieve their desire of increasing direct bookings and growing their presence online, and forego the perception that driving guests to book direct is a challenge.”

ITE HCMC 2017 celebrates ASEAN’s 50th Anniversary Vietnam’s most important and established travel event, the International Travel Expo, Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC), returns for the 13th year from September 7 to 9 at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC).

Vietnam was ranked seventh in the list of the world’s top 20 fastest growing travel destinations. The country saw a 24.6% surge in the number of foreign visitors in 2016 compared to the previous year. The annual ITE HCMC is the key international tourism event in Vietnam, and the largest event of its kind in the Mekong subregion for both inbound and outbound markets.

The first two days of the event are catered to trade professionals, and the third day to trade visitors as well as the public; special promotions, travel packages, stage activities and performances will especially enthrall the latter with wanderlust.

Following the success of last year’s edition, and the positive positioning of Vietnam as the latest tourism hotspot, the Organisers of ITE HCMC 2017 are expecting an overall increase of 20% in participation from last year.

This year’s event will host a multitude of national pavilions, and current confirmed participation include those of Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, with many more to be announced soon.

The confirmed exhibitors currently include airlines, hotels and resorts, tour companies, and travel representatives from countries like Australia, Cambodia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam.

Apart from an array of networking events, it will also host a series of high-powered seminars on topics relating to emerging travel and tourism, like tourism sustainability, travel technology, social media for tourism and hospitality, investment tourism development, and more.

Special business matching services, online pre-appointments, and buyer-seller meetings will provide exhibitors greater exposure and buyers more opportunities to discover that special tourism boost they are searching for. More than 3,600 meetings were conducted between buyer and sellers last year, and the Organisers expect the number to grow 15% this year.

Hosted Buyers & Media Programme Organisers of the ITE HCMC will also invite and host at the event 300 international and regional travel buyers from 50 major markets like Australia, Cambodia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK, US and many others.

The Hosted Buyer Programme allows buyers, from leisure, corporate, MICE, luxury, and special interest travel companies to enjoy pre-show and post-show tours to explore Vietnam; make pre-appointment bookings with sellers online; engage in buyer-seller meetings and attend various networking functions. All hosted buyers are carefully selected and approved by an advisory board with the ITE HCMC Organising Committee.

16 New Focus | September / October 2017

2017

world news Don’t use your smartphone for better sex experience on holiday A new study on 2000 adults by the world's number one sexual wellbeing brand Durex shows that 52% expect better sex on holiday but use of electronics such as phone or tablet negatively affecting our relationships.

Durex released the #DoNotDisturb campaign, led by a social experiment video exploring couples' holiday 'sexpectations'. The brand believe the results of a survey, a follow-up scientific study and the experiment, conducted with real couples, all point to a clear solution for better sex on holiday.

52% of the adults surveyed are saying they expect better sex whilst away, but 60% of those admitting that the reality did not meet those expectations. Unsurprising considering that 40% of people are less likely to instigate sex if their partner is on their phone in bed and 41% admitted nights on holiday with their partner can be spent in bed together concentrating on separate phones rather than each other.

Poll findings generally indicated that 'digital distraction' on holiday is negatively affecting our relationships. Over a quarter admitted that checking phones on holiday can cause rows. Specifically, 59% said that they, their partner or both have too much screen time, and more than half of those respondents felt their relationship suffers as a result - 72 respondents even admitted to using phones during sex!

There were revealing differences for people in different life stages.

Almost a fifth of people said their phones and tablets get in the way of their sex life on holiday, rising to a third of under 35s - those more likely to have grown up with tech.

In addition, 15% admit they have less sex than they used to whilst away because of their tech, climbing to a quarter in under 35s.

Social media was of particular interest, with 65% posting up to three times a day whilst away and 42% admitting that they share special holiday moments on social media rather than with their partners. Relaxing by the pool or the beach might seem the optimum time to switch off and relax, but almost half of said they use phones/tablets at this time as well - women being the main offenders, with 27% more admitting to it than men.

Durex believe there is a solution. After all, 57% of respondents say they would be more turned on if they knew their partner had turned off their phone to focus on an evening with them on holiday. To see if these stats were truly reflective of modern relationships, Durex invited real couples on the holiday of a lifetime as part of a filmed social experiment dividing them into couples with and without tech. The resulting film of the #DoNotDisturb experiment offers every couple around the world a fascinating look at how a tech break can lead to their holiday sexpectations being met.

Dr Sharif Mowlabocus from the Centre of Sexual Dissidence at the University of Sussex conducted accompanying scientific research in response to the survey findings. He found that rather than identifying the bedroom as a romantic setting, many couples spoke about the hotel bedroom as a location for intense devise use, due to the free WiFi access. Dr Mowlabocus also indicated that for couples, there is evidence that "the use of a device by one partner encourages device use by the other partner", thus exacerbating the issue.

Dr Mowlabocus concluded, "Participants expressed a strong belief that a holiday should be about switching off - from work, from home and from social media. However, the hotel bedroom, once a place of intimacy, romance and escape, can at times feel more like a frenzied media centre, as the couple rush to upload photos from the day, check in with friends via messenger apps and scroll through newsfeeds to satisfy their longing for their social networks. Perhaps a solution would be to introduce more boundaries, for example phones in the lobby rather than the bedroom, or a time limit on phone use."

"Holidays used to be a time to relax and reconnect with our partners," agrees Volker Sydow, Global Director at Durex. "However, this experiment has shown us that growing reliance on portable technology for entertainment and affirmation, even when on holiday, is blocking our chance to refresh our relationships. Durex are calling on couples to take a break from their tech whilst on holiday and enjoy touching their partner rather than their phone."

Photo Credit: Sampsel Preston Photography

18  New Focus | September / October 2017

North American airports have the fastest airport Wi-Fi Free airport Wi-Fi is clearly an expectation travelers have at North American airports and many airports are rising to the challenge. Denver International Airport (DEN) has once again been awarded the title of ‘the fastest Wi-Fi among the world’s top airports’ according to a study conducted by Ookla.

Using Speedtest data from March-May 2017, Ookla finds out that downloads at Denver’s airport are 27% faster than the last time they crunched the numbers. Second fastest in North America as well as in the world is Vancouver International Airport.

DEN offers free Wi-Fi with an average download speed of 78.22 Mbps, topping the list of more than 50 major airports tested across North America, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Free airport Wi-Fi at international airports in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma and Calgary are faster than any free airport Wi-Fi they have tested across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Though mostly slower than the average mobile Wi-Fi download speed in the U.S. (57.31 Mbps) and Canada (51.17 Mbps), travelers at these airports should have no complaints about Wi-Fi speeds.

Wi-Fi download speeds at airports in Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth and Mexico City are about as fast as those in Moscow or Seoul. Miami’s speed is similar to that in Delhi. Meanwhile the speeds in Toronto, Atlanta and Montréal were slower than any Wi-Fi they saw in Africa, though comparable to many airports in China.

Where Germans will travel in 2017?

Statistics between 2012 and 2016 reveal where German travelers visit most. Here are the most popular 20 destinations and change of percentage in 2016 compare to 2015. According to the statistics, Turkey is the number 1 country that Germans travel most outside of EU. USA follows Turkey and Egypt comes at 3rd place.

Country

Number of travelers

Change (%)

Germany, within country

36.639.000

+2.5

Austria

12.986.000

+7

France

12.000.000

+4.3

Spain

11.188.000

+8.7

Italy

11.116.000

+2.8

Poland

6.289.000

+4.6

The Netherlands

4.462.000

+8

Turkey

3.890.000

-30.3

Greece

3.138.000

+11.7

Hungary

3.132.000

+5.7

USA

1.984.000

-12.7

Norway

1.687.000

+15.6

Switzerland

1.616.000

0

Sweden

1.026.000

+3.3

Belgium

850.000

-1.8

Slovenia

839.000

+7

Bulgaria

826.000

+32.8

Egypt

653.000

-35.9

China

650.000

+3.2

Morocco

602.000

-2.1

Russia

479.000

+2.1

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airlines Turkish Airlines launched Istanbul - Phuket flights Flying to more countries and international destinations than any other airline in the world, Turkish Airlines has started to operate four weekly flights to Phuket as of July 17, 2017. Deputy Chairman and CEO of Turkish Airlines Mr. Bilal Eksi, commented at the launch ceremony; “Turkish Airlines is excited to be bringing more value and connectivity to its passengers through its ever expanding network. As an award-winning airline that invites people to explore the beauties of our world, it was a natural choice for us to decide on Phuket as our next destination.”

Introductory round trip fares are available from Istanbul to Phuket which is the biggest islands and exotic destination of Thailand, starting from US$569 (including taxes and fees).

Direct flights from Istanbul to Phuket will be operated four times per week on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Furthermore, Miles&Smiles members will be able to upgrade their paid economy class tickets up to 22,500 miles, instead of 45,000, one-way flights by December 31st, 2017.

Turkish Airlines works with Dr. Oz Turkish Airlines will collaborate with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the producer and host of world-renowned “The Dr. Oz Show”, on its “Fly Good Feel Good” project. Turkey’s flag carrier aims to provide an even more comfortable and healthy travel experience to its passengers.

The collaboration between Turkish Airlines and Dr. Oz will be a part of “Fly Good Feel Good” project, which created to improve the brand experience of Turkish Airlines, provided to its passengers. The project features short videos with expert advices presented on the Turkish Airlines official website, social media accounts and in-flight entertainment systems, and printed papers as well.

With help from Turkish Airlines pilots, cabin crew and the Flying Chef of flight TK01 from Istanbul to New York, Dr. Oz surprised passengers before filming content for his daytime show and the “Fly Good Feel Good” project. As part of this special flight experience, Dr. Oz entertained some 300 passengers of this special flight with health-inspiring gifts and messages over the in-flight entertainment system.

“Turkish Airlines is world-renowned and awarded for its high quality service and perfect catering. “Fly Good Feel Good” is, too, an impressive project mindful of the health and wellness dimension of airline travels. I believe that this project is a great example of the attention put on the passengers by bringing the brand experience of Turkish Airlines to a higher level.” Dr. Oz commented on the project.

The collaboration with Dr. Oz is the next phase of the Fly Good Feel Good project, which addresses all actions that to be taken before, during and after flight in order to make passengers have a good flight in all aspects based on a good flight experience. As part of the "Fly Good Feel Good" project, Turkish Airlines has also initiated the volunteer-based "Flying Doctor" practice for when an on-board doctor is needed, which enables physicians who register with the program and gain extra miles on their flights.

Turkey's Pegasus Airlines ranks in the Top 10 Pegasus has earned a place in the top 10 Global Airline Rankings for Ancillary Revenue as a Percentage of Total Revenue with its ancillary revenue for 2016 comprising 22% of total revenue, up from 10.1% five years ago. The results and ranking is published in a new report by IdeaWorksCompany, sponsored by car-trawler, entitled 2016 Top 10 Airline Ancillary Revenue Rankings.

Pegasus Airlines CEO Mehmet T. Nane said: “We are proud and delighted to be part of the Top 10 global rankings for ancillary revenues; and we can attribute much of this success to our mission at Pegasus to transform the company into a full travel brand that answers all guests' travel needs with a door to door experience beyond ticketing, including providing transfers to the airport and accommodation. In 2016 we increased our per guest revenue from ancillaries by 3.7% year-on-year, from €9.77 to €10.13 and we will continue to prioritise this area in coming years because we believe there is still room to grow.”

Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen Airport handles more passengers in 2017 The Sabiha Gökçen Airport, located on the Asian side of Istanbul, handled a total of 3.2 million passengers in July, and the number of passengers using the airport saw a 13% increase compared to the figures in the last year over the same period, which was 2.6 million.

The number of domestic flight passengers hit 2 million in July with a 12% increase, while one million international flight passengers used the airport last month, seeing a 15% increase. Moreover, the airport also handled a total of 17.4 million passengers in the first seven months of 2017, representing 4% increase from the last year’s figures.

The number of domestic flight passengers in the first seven months of 2017 using the airport has increased 3%, hitting 11.7 million, while international flight passengers were 5.7 million, with a 6% increase over the same period.

The highest number of passengers at the airport meanwhile was recorded on July 28, with a total of 109,928 passengers.

20 New Focus | September / October 2017

hotels Europe’s cheapest hotels are in Istanbul Despite the increase in occupancy levels in Turkey compare to last year, price drops in the Turkish hotels keep Turkey at the bottom of Europe in terms of revenue. Istanbul hotels experienced the biggest loss in Europe.

Turkish Hotels Association (TUROB) announced the results of STR Turkey Hotel Report for June 2017. According to the data received from hotels in Istanbul, Antalya, and Ankara, the occupancy level in June 2017 is increased 0.1 percent compare to June 2016 and recorded as 44.6%. The average Revenue per available room (RevPAR) in June 2017 announced as €31 and ranked lowest in Europe.

In the first half of 2017, between January and June, the occupancy level in Turkey is increased from 50.8% to 53.3% but RevPAR dropped from €39.4 to €32.7.

Occupancy level in Istanbul is increased 8.5% from 39.9% in June 2016 to 43.2% in June 2017. Average Daily Rate (ADR) in June 2017 dropped 17.5% to €71.1 from €86.2 in June 2016. Istanbul hotels RevPAR dropped 10.5% compare to last year and recorded as €30.7. It was €34.3 in June 2016. In January-June 2017, occupancy rates increased from 49.2% to 53.3%. ADR dropped from €96.2 to €72.3. RevPAR dropped from €47.3 to €38.5.

TUROB President Timur Bayındır commented, “When we consider first half periods from 2015 to 2017, the revenue loss of hotels only in Istanbul is accounted €1 billion. Despite improvements in security concerns and a rise in hotel occupancy rates, there was no positive effect in hotel revenues. The main problem here is the stress resulting from the budget-destination image. Security concerns and other risks have unfortunately become a trump card in pricing Istanbul’s hotels”.

Turkey’s largest Hilton Garden Inn opens in Istanbul Hilton Worldwide announced the opening of Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul Umraniye, Turkey’s largest Hilton Garden Inn hotel. The hotel is located in heart of the financial and commercial district of Istanbul: Ümraniye, is just minutes from Kadiköy and Uskudar.

Adjacent to Can Park, which is Umraniye district’s new shopping center, Hilton Garden Inn Istanbul Umraniye has a total of 240 rooms. Each room includes Sweet Dreams™ by Serta beds, LCD TV, refrigerator, work desk with ergonomic chair and complimentary WiFi. DoubleTree by Hilton Antalya Kemer to open in 2018 Hilton has signed a franchise agreement with Hasançebi İnşaat Turizm Yatırımları ve Ticaret A.S. to open the 324-guest room DoubleTree by Hilton Antalya Kemer as Hilton’s first resort hotel in Antalya.

The hotel which is planned to open beginning of 2018 will have a large private beach, six restaurants, four bars, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa center, fitness center, tennis court and three conference halls.

DoubleTree by Hilton Antalya Kemer will be located at Yeni Mahalle Atatürk Boulevard, No: 28/1, 07980 Kemer, Antalya.

DoubleTree by Hilton is a fast-growing, global portfolio of more than 500 upscale hotels with more than 119,000 rooms in gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations across six continents. DoubleTree by Hilton prides itself on paying attention to the little details that have a big impact, from welcoming guests with its signature warm DoubleTree Cookie to serving the communities around them.

Hyatt Centric Yalikavak Bodrum to open in 2019 A Hyatt affiliate has entered into a franchise agreement with Özkent Girisim Gayrimenkul Yatırım ve Ticaret A.S. for a Hyatt Centric hotel in Bodrum, Turkey. Hyatt Centric Yalikavak Bodrum will be managed by Access Tourism and Hotel Investment Consultancy Ltd. Expected to open in mid-2019, Hyatt Centric Yalikavak Bodrum will mark the fifth Hyatt-branded hotel in Turkey, joining Park Hyatt Istanbul – Macka Palas, Grand Hyatt Istanbul, Hyatt Regency Istanbul Ataköy, Hyatt Centric Levent Istanbul, and Hyatt House Gebze, which is slated to open in September 2017.

As the first Hyatt Centric resort in Turkey, Hyatt Centric Yalikavak Bodrum will boast an unbeatable location designed to be a launch pad for sightseeing, tasting and experiencing everything that the Bodrum Peninsula has to offer. The hotel will be just minutes from the famous five-gold-anchor marina Palmarina Bodrum, which offers a number of gourmet restaurants, an open-air shopping mall and entertainment venues.

Guests will enjoy premium views of Turkey’s southwest coast from the hotel’s 77 guestrooms with private gardens and balconies. The hotel’s five food and beverage venues will offer both locally and internationally inspired cuisine.

Hyatt Centric Yalikavak Bodrum will also offer a spa, as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools and will be located in close proximity to an eclectic beach club. The hotel will have more than 5,850 square feet (544 square meters) of conference and events space that will make for the perfect destination for weddings and events.

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cover story

Mardin

is a city in southeastern Turkey.

The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for its Arab-style architecture, and for its strategic location on a rocky mountain overlooking the plains of northern Syria. Mardin has a very mixed population, Kurds, Turks, Assyrian/Syriacs and Arabs all represent large groups.

There is also a small Armenian community in the region.

Mardin’s cultural diversity is further enriched by the deep-rooted culture of various communities including the oldest Christian community, the Suryani. Who can refuse to see a city of tolerance where ezan from mosques lives in brotherhood with church bells?

22  New Focus | September / October 2017

World Herıtage cıty

Mardin

The city is located on the slope of a hill looking down south to the Mesopotamian plains. Mardin is on the rail and highway routes connecting Turkey to Syria and Iraq. According to a hearsay, the history of the city dates as far back as the Flood. The city lived under the rule of the Hurri-Mitani, Hittites, Surs, Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Arabs and the Seljuk Turks. Later, the Mardin branch of the Artuklu Kingdom called “Tabaka Ilgaziyye” was established and the city flourished during this time.

Historically many different names were used for Mardin. These include Erdobe, Tidu, Merdin, Merdo, Merdi, Merda, Merde, “Eagle’s Nest”, “Birds’ Nest”, Maridin and finally Mardin

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cover story

In recent years Mardin has become a center of attraction for many people from different parts of the world. It is a candidate for UNESCO’s List of “Cities of World Heritage.” Submitting, protecting and transferring cultural richness for the next generations require a big importance. Mardin has an enormous historical, cultural and architectural richness.

The fortress, Kasimiye Medresse, Zinciriye Medresse and Grand Mosque are important historical sites around the city. Other historical assets in the area worth seeing include Dayrul-Zeferan Monastery and Harizm Medresse.

Dating from 1385, the Sultan Isa Medresse is an interesting, beautiful Turkish monument with its magnificent carved portal. The Kasim Pasa Medresse, is also significant for its dome of beautiful stonework and the Ulu (Grand) Mosque with its well-decorated minaret, is another sightseeing spot.

24 New Focus | September / October 2017

Deyr’ul Zafaran Monastery is a Syriac monastery 9 kilometers to the east of Mardin, built in the 9th century.

At present, it is a visit place and a shelter for impoverished Syriacs. The monastery used to be a religious centre for the Syriac until 1932. One of the biggest of many monasteries existing in the region, Deyr’ul Zafaran has 52 Syriac Patriarchs buried here. The secret section for worshipping called “mahzen” is the oldest part of the monastery. The monastery was enlarged with additional sections built later. Around the structures which form a trinity with Deyr’ul Zafaran, Church of Virgin Mary and Mar Yakup Monastery, there are three fortresses built for protecting the trinity.

Mar Yakup Monastery derives its name from a priest (Marislium). It was later known as “Marevgan Monastery”.

According to a hearsay, Marbinyamin, one of the heralds of the east had the bones of his oldest disciple buried here. The monastery was also knows as “Marhonesya” for a time.

The museum is housed in the former patriarchate constructed in 1895 by the Patriarch of Antakya, Ignatios Benham Banni. Now restored to its original condition, the building houses collections dating from 4000 BC up to the present day and representing the Assyrian, Urartian, Hellenistic, Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, Artuklu and Ottoman periods. Pottery, seals, cylinder seals, coins, lamps, figurines, teardrop bottles, and jewelry are among the many and fascinating exhibits.

Mardin has preserved the old-style carving in its houses. Since located in a volcanic area, the basic input used in local architecture is easily workable calcareous rock. Houses in Mardin, reflecting all features of a closed-in life style are surrounded by 4 meters high walls and isolated from the street. These walls also provide protection from harsh climatic conditions.

Houses have their separate sections for males and females and mostly have no kitchen. The most important feature of these houses is the stone craftsmanship called “Midyat Work”. Doors, windows and small columns are dressed with arches and various motif. The central settlement was given the status of urban site area in 1979.

Above the house doors are carved pictures of the Kaaba if the owner has made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and the door knockers have a distinctive form resembling the beaks of birds. Often the lanes run through arched tunnels beneath the upper floors of houses. Relief carvings of animals and fruit lend the city a dream-like character, and the modern world seems to fade away.

Syrian Orthodox gold and silver smiths whose work is famous throughout the country still practice their craft here, their workshops side by side with those of Muslim copper smiths. Along with the buildings themselves, it is to be hoped that this living culture can also be preserved.

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cover story Midyat Midyat is historically important town of Mardin. This name is used to mean the land and mountain of the warshippings.

There are different opinions about the foundation and name of the province. According to some sources the name of province means “mirror” coming from a combination of Arabic Persian on Suryanic language after lots of changes.

According to another opinion ,the name “Midyat” comes from “Matiate” which means the land of the caves. Thinking about this opinion , say that the name “Matiate” is on Asur prescriptions in the 9th century B.C. Paralel to this opinion, it’s said that “Elath” land showing that caves were the first places of living in Midyat (The place Ziyaret - Nesire 3 kms distant to Midyat and near Acırlı Municipility) has been here since Romans.

This information is included about the history of the province in he Mardin Annual of 1973 ; Eti Turks coming from Middle Asia to Anatolia, inhabited in the land between Dicle and Fırat rivers called Mesopotamia (in about 2000 B.C) while passing into the region they built a large land of caves and raised their animals here. The caves under Midyat were used as shelters in that times.There are connections between these caves.Then Komuk Turks the vanguard inhabitant of Middle Asia Turks inhabited in this region.

Komuks in this region fought with Asurs for years.It’s determined that Asurs conquered this region for few times.

But this invasions didn’t last for long and they had to go back. As a matter of fact Komuks were dominant in this case in the period of the Asur Ruler Tiglatninip. The region was invaded by different nations in the years between 500-100 B.C. Makedonians, Persians, Romans ruled in this region Midyat was really inhabited or founded as a region in the period of Selefkus(the years in 180 B.C.) Christianity was the dominant religion till the 5th century A.D. in the 6th century, the Arabian rushes began after the spreading of Islam, and the armies of Halid Bin Velid conquered the region. It’s seen there were movings for development in the period of Arabics.

A large number of the villages in Midyat were founded in the period of Harun El Resid. Harun El Resid placed an army which is a combination of Turk - Arabic rations and formed by his son Memun on 100 station houses began the old way of Cizre-Mardin. Mahalmies was born after this case. The name “Mahalmi” used to call the villages around Midyat comes from that. Mahalmi means 100 districts ,100 lands,100 encampments, and today those old villages on the way to Baghdad speaking a language called Mahalmic language consist of Turkish Suryanic language and particularly Arabic. These villages are Söğütlü, Şenkay, Acırlı, Çavuşlu, Sarıkaya , Gelinkaya, Düzgeçit , Ovabaşı ,Ziyaret, Estel Part, Yolbaşı, Sarıkay, Düzova, Yayvantepe, Eğlence and Delitli.

There are also other opinions about the inhabitants of these villages talking in Mahalmic Language. According to an opinion, these are from “cengaver” and fighter Benihal Tribes living in the Desert Necef . And it has believed that they are Turks from Middle Asia. Memun following a conquering and defending policy by placing them in the Midyat Region between Cizre and Mardi had Midyat Mosque and Derizbin(Acırlı) mosque built.

According to Prof. H.Hollerwegar, a lot of villages of Mhalmoye in the east of Mardin and west of Midyat accepted Islam after Christianity in 1209.

In the 11th century Artuk State widened and invaded Halep in west, Musul and Bitlis in east, Harput(Elazığ) in north and Darzuru in south. And Midyat lived its most comfortable times because of being a land between Mardin and Hasankeyf. At those times Derizbin (Acırlı) village was the centre of the region. The authors of Derizbin used to rule as a commonplace related to Artukoğulları, Midyat was conquered by the Ottoman Army ruled by Bıyıklı Memet Paşa in 1535 after Mervanis and Eyyubi.

Midyat became a province in 1810 and then Cevat Paşa Mosque and Ulu Mosque were built at that time.

According to the general census in 2000; the population of the province is 56.669 in the centre, 71.416 in the villages and totally 128.085. In recent years, an intensive amount of the people in the villages and migrating to the centre of the province.

cover story Dara Ruins Dara was an important Roman fortress city in the area corresponding to ancient northern Mesopotamia, and it served as the strategic outpost overlooking the borders of their mighty rivals, the Persian Sassanian Empire. The ruins are in the village of OÄ&#x;uz, 30 km to the southeast of Mardin city center.

Once one of the most important cities in antique Mesopotamia, the site now hosts a tiny village. The city was garrisoned by Emperor Anastasius in 506 and was an important link in the chain of defensive outposts along the Euphrates protecting the eastern Byzantine border against the Sassanids.

With its strong defensive walls, water channels and cistern, bridges, flood dam, church, baptistery, rock tombs, quarries and cave dwellings, Dara was a thriving community. The city began to decline in importance in the Early Middle Ages.

It is also the location of the battle between Alexander the Great and Dara. The antique city was founded by Darayovasi, a Persian Ruler and later changed hands between the Persians and Romans.

The core of the city was protected by walls making 4 km in length.

There are two gates opening to north and south. The citadel is at the top of a 50 meters high hill to the north of the city. One can still recognize the remains of a church, palace, bazaar, storages, dungeon and a water set.

To the north of the settlement, a fascinating water barrier was constructed by carving rocks that slope down southwards. There is still water running in this canal. Many other cultural properties come to light in the course of time as a result of natural events.

Surrounding the settlement there are 6-7 cave houses which date back to late Roman and early Byzantine times.

28  New Focus | September / October 2017

Hasankeyf Hasankeyf, Turkey, is one of the oldest ancient sites in the world with evidence of human settlement. Dating back 12,000 years, it has been home to virtually every major Mesopotamian civilisation, and it has seen huge transformations over its long life-span, from a Byzantine bishopric to an Arab fortress and an outpost in the Ottoman Empire. Hasankeyf is located on the banks of the Tigris River in south-eastern Turkey, not far from the border with Syria.

Hasankeyf is rich in history throughout the ages and aside from the sites below, thousands of caves exist in the cliffs that surround the city. Many of the caves are multi-storied and have their own water supply. Churches and mosques were also carved into the cliffs and numerous ancient cemeteries exist throughout the area.

The Turkish Republic has ordered the construction of a hydroelectric dam which will submerge the ancient town beneath 60 metres of water. Scheduled for completion in late 2017, the Ilisu Dam, which is now under construction 100 kilometres downstream from Hasankeyf, will generate nearly 2% of Turkey’s electricity and create an 11-billion-cubic-meter reservoir, sinking the ancient city and dozens of towns on the Tigris River in the process.

The ancient tomb of Zeynel Bey, a 650-year-old piece of history lying near the Ilısu Lake in the Hasankeyf has been relocated 2 kilometers away from its current location as a precautionary measure to avoid any damage to the historic structure.

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destinasyon

Asya’nın mistik şehri, Luang Prabang

L

aos’un en önemli şehri, tarihi ve mistik Luang Prabang, bu yıl 4 gün boyunca Mekong ülkelerinin zirvesi MTF “ Mekong Turizm Forumuna ev sahipliği yaptı.

30 New Focus | September / October 2017

19. ve 20. yüzyıllardaki Fransız sömürgesinin etkilerini günümüzde de açıkça hissettiren bu Budist şehrinde toplam 34 ayrı Budist tapınağı bulunuyor.

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destinasyon

Luang Prabang yüzyıllardır kırsal ve kentsel gelişimin bir karışımı olan ve çok iyi korunmuş bir mimari, dini ve kültürel mirası nedeniyle 1995 yılında Dünya Mirası olarak listelendi.

32 New Focus | September / October 2017

destinasyon

Luang Prabang Laos’un en önemli Budist şehri.

34 New Focus | September / October 2017

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destinasyon

Tipik Laos şehirlerinde görülen yol ve yerleşim dışında Luang Prabang gözümüzden kaçmayan binaların iki katı aşmadığı, çok sayıda hatta yan yana budist tapınakların olduğu ve Mekong nehri kıyısına dizilmiş çok sayıda Avrupai bar, cafe restoranın koloniyal mimarisi ile yer alması oldu.

36 New Focus | September / October 2017

Şehir merkezi Mekong nehrine parelel iki ana caddeden oluşuyor. Nehrin hemen yanında uzayan sözünü ettiğimiz yeme içme mekanlarının bulunduğu caddenin parelelinde yer alan ikinci ana cadde gündüzleri ticari kimliğini, banka, seyahat ecentaları, döviz büroları gibi çeşitli dükkanlar ile sürdürüyor.

Muson iklimi nedeniyle gündüz saatleri çok sıcak olan bu cadde, akşam saat 18.00 den sonra gece yarısına kadar trafiğe kapatılarak Asya şehirlerinin vazgeçilmez,” gece pazarı “oluyor.

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destinasyon Bu pazarda el sanatları ürünlerinden, içerisinde yılan, akrep olan viskilere, hediyelik eşyalardan, zengin yemek ve meyve seçeneklerine, giyim kuşama, deri ve taklidi ürünlere rastlamak mümkün. Hem yerli vatandaşların hem de turistlerin ilgisini çeken bu pazarda yol kenarlarında bulunan restoran, kafe ve barlarda da soluklanmak mümkün.

MTF toplantıları şehrin biraz dışında Merkez Bankası salonlarında gerçekleşti. Günümüz mimarisi ile yapılmış bina, şehirde gerçekleşen önemli toplantılara da ev sahipliği yapıyor. Bu binaya ulaşan yollarda yer alan restoranlar da katılımcılara hizmet ediyor.

Luang Prabang’ın bir diğer toplantı olanağını da, turistik günlük ve konaklamalı turlar yapan Mekong Nehri gemileri oluşturyor. MTF’in birçok oturumu da bu gemilerde verildi.

Luang Prabang Laos’un en önemli Budist şehri. Şehre gelen turistlerin de katılabildikleri törenler büyük ilgi görüyor. Sabah gün aydınlanmadan kilise çan’larına benzeyen sesler çıkaran ziller ile şehirde bulunan yerli ve yabancılar bu törenlere davet ediliyor.

Tapınaklarına yakın caddelerde Budist Monk’larına verilmek üzere genelde her türlü yiyecek satan satıcılardan alışverişler yapılıyor. Sonra cadde üzerine sıralanarak önlerinden geçen ve o tapınakta yaşayan, eğitim gören genç ve yaşlı monkların özel sepetlerine bu ürünler konuyor. Bu alışverişi yapamayanların para vermesi de mümkün. 2 saat kadar süren bu rituel hemen her sabah yapılıyor.

Luang Prabang ‘da konaklamamızı bir Banyan Tree işletmesi olan Angsana Maison Souvannaphoum’da yaptık. Maison Souvannaphoum şehrin merkezinde mükemmel bir butik otel. Yıllar önce Laos Prensi Souvannaphoum konutu olan tesis, sonradan koloniyal mimarisi ile 24 odalı bir butik otele 38 New Focus | September / October 2017

dönüştürlmüş. Laos kültür ve geleneklerini koruyan yapısı ve konuksever servisler veren restoran, havuz ve spa’sı ile özellikle Avrupalı konukların vazgeçemedikleri bir tesis. Tropikal bahçesi nde havuz etrafında ortama uygun dekorasyonu ile okuma alanları, satranç ve dinlenme olanakları tesise ayrıcalık katıyor. Şehir yakınlarında yer alan Kuangsi Şelalesi, şelale sularında olşmuş göletlerde yıkanan ve yüzen insanlar, bu alan içindeki Ayı Bakım Parkı, Mekong nehri kıyısında bulunan ve içersinde çok sayıda Budist heykeli olan Pak Ou Mağarası Birkaç yıl önce ziyaret ettiğimiz başkent Vientiane’den sonra gördüğümüz Luang Prabang, turistlerin neden büyük ilgi duyduğu bir şehir olduğunu bize de gösterdi.

FAM TRIP

IMFT medya info gezisi TCEB-Tayland Kongre ve Fuar Büro’sunun geleneksel medya MICE fam trip’i IMFT, 14-19 Ağustos tarihleri arasında gerçekleşti. Bu yılın teması “Connect Thailand: Kingdom of Blesuire” adı altında gerçekleşti. TCEB’in yeni başkanı Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya’da medya mensublarına tanıtıldı.

Bu yıl Bangkok ile birlikte Pattaya, Hua Hin gibi şehirlerdeki kongre merkezleri, MICE otel ve toplantı mekanları tanıtıldı. 16 ülkeden, 35 uluslararası MICE turizm yazarı, gazeteci ve blogger’ın katıldığı info gezisinde ayrıca çeşitli panel ve konferanslar ile Tayland’ın her yıl giderek büyüyen MICE tanıtımında yeni destinasyonlar ile bölge tanıtımı gerçekleşti.

40 New Focus | September / October 2017

Bu yılın davetli medya mensupları Singapur, Malezya, Vietnam, Endonesya, Hindistan, Çin, Japonya, Kore, Ürdün, Türkiye, İngiltere, Almanya, Belçika, Slovenya, Avustralya ve Yeni Zellanda’dan çağrıldı.

Tüm turizm çeşitlerine büyük önem veren ve herbiri için ayrı ayrı organizasyonlar yapan Tayland, geçen yıl yalnızca MICE toplantılar için 1.3 milyona yakın katılımcıya toplantı ve kongreler ile ev sahipliği yaparken, 3.85 milyon Euro’luk iş hacmi elde etti.

www.smpublication.com 41

FAM TRIP

42  New Focus | September / October 2017

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bülten “Kadife sezon” da Ruslar yine Türkiye’de Rusya Tur Operatörleri Birliği (ATOR) tarafından yapılan açıklamada, Rusya’da eylül-ekim aylarında “kadife sezonu” olarak adlandırılan dönemde vatandaşların tatil tercihini yine Türkiye’den yana kullanmayı planladığı belirtildi.

Açıklamada, Rusya'da son dönemde Türkiye hakkında çıkan "Koksaki" virüsü iddialarına karşın Rus vatandaşlarının tatil tercihleri arasında Türkiye’nin açık ara lider konumda olduğu vurgulanırken, Kıbrıs ve Rusya’daki yerel tatil noktalarının Türkiye’nin ardından diğer tercih yerleri olduğu kaydedildi.

Rusların bu yıl tekrar gözdesi olan Antalya'ya ilişkin Rus medyasında son günlerde çıkan haberlerde, Antalya otellerinde "Koksaki" adı verilen bir tür salgın hastalık nedeniyle Rus turistlerin sağlık sorunları yaşadıkları öne sürülmüştü.

Rus haber ajansı RIA Novosti'ye konuşan Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Antalya Bölge Müdürü İbrahim Acar ise salgın haberlerinin asılsız olduğuna işaret ederek, "Ne Antalya ne de Türkiye'nin Akdeniz bölgesi genelinde Koksaki virüsü salgını var." ifadelerini kullanmıştı.

Rusya İnsan Sağlığı ve Tüketici Hakları Koruma Kurumu (Rospotrebnadzor) Başkanı Anna Popova da Türkiye'de herhangi bir salgın olduğuna dair bulguya rastlamadıklarını açıklamıştı.

Moskova'dan İzmir'e direkt uçuş gerek İzmir Fuarı kapsamında Dış Ekonomik İlişkiler Kurulu (DEİK), Ege İhracatçı Birlikleri (EİB) işbirliğiyle düzenlenen Türkiye-Rusya İş Forumu'nda iki ülke arasındaki turizm ilişkilerinin ele alındığı oturum düzenlendi. Türkiye-Rusya Turizm İşbirliği" oturumuna iki ülkenin turizm yetkilileri ve sektör temsilcileri katıldı.

Türkiye'nin Karadeniz ülkeleri arasında önemli bir yere sahip olduğunu dile getiren Business Russia Ağırlama Endüstrisi Komitesi Başkanı Elena Krivenkova, "Türkiye bir Karadeniz ülkesi olarak zengin kültür, mimari değerlere ve potansiyele sahip bir ülke. Bunların kullanılması gerekiyor. Biz Türk otel zincirleriyle bağlantılar kurduk. Rusya olarak meslektaşlarımızın tecrübelerinden yararlanmak istiyoruz" dedi. Karadeniz'deki ülkeler arasındaki ilişkilerin gelişiminin oldukça önemli olduğunu vurgulayan Krivenkova, "Türkiye'ye giden oldukça fazla kişi var, ancak maalesef Türkiye'den Rusya'ya gelen az. Rusya'da önemli bir UNIVERSIADE ve olimpiyat tecrübesi var. Türkiye'yi ilişkilerin daha da gelişmesi için bu tür yarışma ve festivaller yapmaya devat ediyoruz" diye konuştu. İzmir Fuarı'na aslında çocuklarıyla gelmek istediğini ancak kentle ilgili yeterli bilgiye ulaşamadığını da belirten Elena Krivenkova, İzmir'e Moskova'dan direkt uçuş olmamasının da büyük sıkıntı olduğuna dikkat çekerek sözlerini şöyle sürdürdü: "Doğrudan uçuş olmadığı için İzmir'e sabah 05. 00'te geldim. Antalya'ya Moskova'dan her gün iki üç uçuş var. Mesela hafta sonu Türkiye'ye gelmek istersem mecburen Antalya'yı seçiyorum, üç saat içinde geliyorum.

Ama buraya gelemiyorum. Aslında çok güzel yerleriniz var, tarihiniz çok ilginç, Meryem Ana Evi var mesela. Ruslar sadece deniz, kum, güneş peşinde koşmuyor, kültür turizmine de önem veriyor. Bu nedenle yeni bilgilerin, ama bizim dilimizde bilgilerin de verilmesi gerekiyor. Çocuklarımızı getirdiğimizde bırakabileceğimiz yerlerin, yapılacak etkinliklerin anlatılması çok önemli."

Türkiye Otelciler Federasyonu (TÜROFED) Başkan Yardımcısı ve Ege Turistik İşletmeler ve Konaklamalar Birliği (ETİK) Başkanı Mehmet İşler ise, Rus pazarının turizmcilerin gözünü kamaştıran bir pazar olduğunu, ancak İzmir'in bu dev pazardan payını alamadığını söyledi. Son beş yılın rakamlarından örnek veren Mehmet İşler, "2012'de 12 bin 443 kişi, 2013'de 18 bin 488 kişi, 2014'te 17 bin 138 kişi, 2015'de 9 bin 245 kişi, 2016'da 765 kişi gelmiş İzmir'e.

Bu yılın temmuz ayına kadar olan süreçte ise İzmir'e gelen Rus sayısı 10 bin 99 kişi. Biz bu devden, komşumuz Rusya'dan bir şey almıyoruz" dedi.

Toplantı sonunda iki ülke arasındaki turizm ilişkilerinin gelişmesi için bir protokol yapılması gerektiğini dile getiren Business Russia Ağırlama Endüstrisi Komitesi Başkanı Elena Krivenkova, her yıl sadece Moskova'da değil başka şehirlerde de Türkiye festivali düzenlemek istediklerini belirtti. Rus dilini öğretmek, özellikle turizm sektöründe çalışanlara eğitim vermek amacıyla iki ülke arasında öğrenci değişimleri olabileceği önerisinde bulunan Krivenkova, yapılan bu toplantının gelecekte yapılacaklar için ilk adım olmasını diledi.

Ruslar Türkiye’de 4 bin 158 ruble harcıyor Rus online ödeme sistemi Yandex.Dengi, Rusyalı turistlerin bu yaz tatilinde en fazla harcama yaptıkları ülkeleri belirledi. Metronews.ru’nun haberine göre araştırmada, Yandex.Dengi kartı sahibi olan Rusya vatandaşı turistlerin yaptıkları harcamalar mercek altına alındı. Kart sahiplerinin bu yaz en fazla tatil yaptıkları ülke Türkiye oldu. Türkiye’yi Rusya, Belarus, Ukrayna, İspanya ve Tayland takip etti.

Rusya Turizm Ajansı Rosturizm’in verilerine göre, bu senenin ilk çeyreğinde Türkiye’ye giden Rusyalı turist sayısı geçen yılın aynı dönemine göre yüzde 114 arttı.

Rusyalı turistlerin, Yandex.Dengi kartı ile tek seferde en fazla hrcama yaptıkları ülkelerin başında ise Almanya (ortalama 5 bin 475 ruble) geliyor. Tayland ikinci (5 bin 475 ruble), Türkiye üçüncü (4 bin 158 ruble) sırada. Bu rakam Yunanistan’da 3 bin 843, İtalya’da 3 bin 229, ABD’de 3 bin 114, İspanya’da 2 bin 548, Kıbrıs’ra 2 bin 468 ruble.

44 New Focus | September / October 2017

WTO sıralamasında büyük düşüş Birleşmiş Milletler Dünya Turizm Örgütü (UNWTO) Dünya turizminin 2016 yılı verilerini açıkladı. Raporda göre Türkiye turist sayısında dünya sıralamasında 4 sıra gerileyerek 10. Sıraya düştü. Turizm gelirlerinde ise 5 sıra gerileyerek 17. sıraya geriledi.

Rapordan bazi alıntılar; - Uluslararası turist sayısı, dünya genelinde bir önceki yıla göre %3,9 (46 milyon) artarak, 1 milyar 23 milyona ulaştı.

- Uluslararası turizm gelirleri %2,6 artarak, 1.220 milyar dolara ulaştı.

- Avrupa bir önceki yıla göre 13 milyon kişi artış ile 2016 yılında 616 milyon turist ağırladı.

- Avrupa'nın uluslararası turizm gelirleri, reel olarak yüzde 1 artarak 447 milyar dolara ulaştı.

- Avrupa'da Portekiz %13, İspanya %10, Hırvatistan %9, Yunanistan %5 büyüme kaydetti.

- Çinli turist sayısı % 6 artarak 135 milyona ulaştı.

- Çinli turistlerin harcamaları, % 12 artarak 261 milyar dolara ulaştı.

- ABD'lilerin turizm harcamaları % 8 artarak 124 milyar dolara ulaştı. İstanbul’da oda fiyatı Avrupa’nın en düşüğü Turizmde içinde bulunduğu sıkıntıyı aşmaya çalışan İstanbul’da ise Haziran 2016'da yüzde 39.9 olan doluluk oranı, Haziran 2017'de yüzde 8.5 artarak, yüzde 43.2 olarak ölçüldü.

ADR (Average Daily Rate) olarak adlandırılan ortalama günlük satılan oda bedeli 71.1 Euro olarak, 2016'ya göre yüzde 17.5 düşüş gösterdi. Haziran 2016’da bu rakam 86.2 olmuştu. Toplam oda sayısı üzerinden odabaşı elde edilen gelirlerde ise (RevPAR) geçen yıla oranla yüzde 10.5 düşüş yaşandı ve 30.7 Euro olarak ölçüldü. Haziran 2016’da bu rakam 34.3 Euro olmuştu. İstanbul, Haziran 2017'de, ADR'sindeki yüzde 17.5 düşüş ve RevPar'daki yüzde 10.5 düşüş ile en büyük gelir kaybı yaşayan Avrupa destinasyonu oldu. Ocak–Haziran 2017 döneminde ise doluluk oranı, geçen yılın aynı dömenindeki yüzde 49.2’den yüzde 53.3’e yükseldi. Ortalama günlük satılan oda bedeli 96.2 Euro’dan 72.3 Euro’ya, oda başı elde edilen gelir 47.3 Euro’dan 38.5 Euro’ya geriledi.

Dolulukları yorumlayan TÜROB Başkanı Timur Bayındır, geçen yıl aynı dönemde güvenlik sorununa ilişkin ciddi bir kaygı ortamı hakimken, bu yıl sakinleşme olmasına rağmen doluluk artışının aksine gelirlerde pozitif etkinin söz konusu olmadığını söylesi. Bayındır, “STR’nin doluluk oranları dikkate alındığında, TÜROB olarak yaptığımız hesaplamada, 2015-2017 dönemindeki ilk yarı rakamlarına göre sadece İstanbul’da oda gelirleri kaybı yaklaşık 1 milyar Euro’yu buluyor. Bu rakama yüksek sezon olarak adlandırdığımız ikinci yarı dahil değil. Onu da dahil ettiğimizde rakam katlanacaktır” dedi. “Turistlerin gelmesi ve doluluk oranı meselesi dışında, asıl sorun bütçedestinasyon imajının yarattığı strestir. Güvenlik ve risk meselesi özellikle İstanbul’un pazar fiyatlamasında adeta bir koz haline gelmiştir” diyen Bayındır, özellikle Antalya’da geçen yıla göre gelir anlamında toparlanma görüldüğünü belirterek, “Doluluk oranlarında önemli bir değişim olmaması ve gelirin artması hizmete açık otel sayısı ve yerli turistin etkisi olarak yorumlanabilir” diye konuştu.

2018 yurtdışı fuar sayımız sadece 97 !

T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı Tanıtma Genel Müdürü İrfan Önal başkanlığında “Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığının 2018 yılında katılması planlanan turizm fuarları” konulu toplantı Ankara'da düzenlendi.

Toplantıda, 2018 yılında katılımı planlanan Yurtdışı Fuarlarla ilgili hazırlanan liste görüşe sunulmuştur. 2018 yılında katılım sağlanacak yurtdışı fuar sayısı 112’den 97’ye düşürüldü.

Toplantıya; TÜROB Genel Müdürü İsmail Taşdemir, TTYD Başkanı Oya Narin, TTYD Yönetim Kurulu Üyesi Emrullah Akçakaya, TÜRSAB Genel Sekreteri Çetin Gürcün, TÜROFED Koordinatörü Necip Boz, ICVB temsilcisi Ayça Şentop, Deniz Turizmi Birliği temsilcisi ile Tanıtma Genel Müdür Yardımcısı Dr.Cengiz Aydın ve ilgili bürokratlar katıldı.

Toplantıda, 2018 yılında katılımı planlanan Yurtdışı Fuarlarla ilgili hazırlanan liste görüşe sunuldu. 2018 yılında katılım sağlanacak yurtdışı fuar sayısı 112’den 97’ye düşürüldü. 21 fuar listeden çıkartılıp yerine 6 fuar eklendi.

Fuar katılımında en radikal adım Rusya’da düzenlenecek fuarlarda görüldü. MITT Moskova Turizm Fuarı stand alanı 1.254’den 100 metrekareye indirildi.

TÜROB olarak, pazardaki gelişmeler dikkate alınarak özellikle ATM Dubai Turizm Fuarındaki stand alanının daha fazla büyütülmesi (en az 1.000 metrekare) ve fuarda yer alan Türkiye standının konumlandırıldığı yer konusunda fuar idaresine baskı yapılmasının yararlı olacağı dile getirildi. Diğer yandan, listenin statik değil dinamik olarak yer alması gerektiği, ihtiyaç ve sektör tarafından talep edilmesi halinde listede yer almayan fuarlara da katılım sağlanması gerektiği önerildi. (turob.com)

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bülten Şiirle Türkiye tanıtımı Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı'nca, Türkiye'nin küresel turizm kampanyası "Turkey Home" kapsamında hazırlanan uluslararası tanıtım filmi "Home of Poetry" bakanlığın sosyal medya hesapları üzerinden yayımlanmaya başlandı.

3 dakika 38 saniyelik bir genel tanıtım filminin yanı sıra, 60'ar saniyelik üç filmin de yer aldığı Home of Poetry projesinin çekim ve kurgu aşaması, yaklaşık 4 aylık bir çalışmayla, 12 şehirde ve çeşitli ilçelerde gerçekleştirildi.

Filmde, bir kitapseverin, kütüphanede bir Türk şiiri antolojisi kitabını eline alması üzerine daha önceki yıllarda Türkiye'de ailesiyle birlikte yaptığı tatilleri anımsaması Türk şairlerinin dizeleriyle anlatılıyor. Ailenin Türkiye'ye yaptığı ziyaretlerde gezdikleri tarihi, doğal güzellikler, kültürel ve gastronomik zenginlikler, yaşadıkları güzel anılarla harmanlanarak film boyunca yüksek çözünürlüklü ve kaliteli görüntülerle izleyiciye aktarılıyor.

Tanıtım filminde kullanılan metin, Enis Batur, Erdem Bayazıt, İlhan Berk, Yahya Kemal Beyatlı, Edip Cansever, Fazıl Hüsnü Dağlarca, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Nâzım Hikmet, Attila İlhan, Adnan Özer, Ziya Osman Saba, Cemal Süreya, Kemal Tahir, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Ömer Bedrettin Uşaklı ve Turgut Uyar'ın şiirlerindeki dizelerden oluşuyor.

2018 Çin’de Türkiye Turizm yılı Turizm sektörümüzde yaşanan gelişmeler ve karşılaşılan sorunlara ilişkin tüm konuları ilgili mercilerin dikkatine sunan TÜRSAB, Birlik Üyesi Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti'yle çalışan acentalar ile bir araya geldi.

3 Ağustos'ta TÜRSAB Genel Merkez'de gerçekleşen toplantıda, 2018 yılının Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti'nde Türkiye Turizm yılı ilan edilmesi kapsamında T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı'na sunulmak üzere yapılması planlanan etkinlikler konuşuldu. Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti ile çalışan acentalarla bir araya gelen TÜRSAB yetkilileri planlanan etkinlikler hakkında acentaların fikirlerini aldı.

Etkinlik toplantısında; Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti pazarına hâkim olan acentaların yönlendirmeleriyle 2018 yılında Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti'nde Türkiye tanıtımına yönelik neler yapılabileceği değerlendirildi.

OTI’den Almanya hamlesi OTI Holding, 1994’te yapılandırmaya başladığı Rusya ve Doğu Avrupa’daki tur operatörlüğü ağını Almanya’da gerçekleştirdiği iki stratejik hamle ile daha da genişletti. Geçtiğimiz aylarda ana markası Coral Travel’ın Almanya’da tur operatörlüğü kuruluşu işlemlerini tamamlayan OTI, Düsseldorf merkezli Ferien Touristik seyahat organizasyon şirketini satın aldığını açıkladı.

1992 yılında kurduğu ODEON Tours şirketi ile turizm sektörüne giren OTI Holding, 1994 yılından bu yana Rusya, Beyaz Rusya, Polonya, Ukrayna, Gürcistan, Almanya ve Türkiye’de kendisine ait Coral Travel markası ile yürüttüğü tur operatörlüğü ağını Almanya’da satın aldığı Ferien Touristik ile daha da genişletti.

Avrupa ve öncelikle Almanya’da yapılanma konusunda uzun zamandır hazırlık içinde olan OTI Holding, sene başında Coral Travel’ın Almanya’da kuruluş işlemlerinin tamamlanması ardından, Haziran ayında da Ferien Touristik’in satın alınmasıyla ilgili işlemleri tamamladığını açıkladı. 2004 yılında TUI Leisure Travel tarafından kurulan Ferien Touristik, ileriki yıllarda hisselerini Almanya’nın önemli medya şirketi olan Köln merkezli Media Ventures Gmbh’a devretti. OTI Holding ile Ferien Touristik arasında yaklaşık 8 ay süren görüşmelerin ardından gerçekleşen satın alma ile, Avrupa’da bu büyüklükte bir tur operatörü ilk kez bir Türk şirket tarafından satın alınmış oldu.

Ferien Touristik, online portallar ve anlaşmalı olduğu 6000 seyahat acentesi üzerinden yaklaşık 100 destinasyona dinamik tur paketleri satıyor. 2016 yılında %10 artışla 65 milyon Euro’luk bir ciroya ulaşmış olan şirket, yılda yaklaşık 150 bin turiste hizmet veriyor.

Almanya’da 2017 başlarında Coral Travel olarak kuruluşunun ardından bu satın alma ile Almanya’da ikinci stratejik hamleyi yaptıklarını belirten OTI Holding Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Ayhan Bektaş, “Coral Travel markamız ile 1994 yılından bu yana Rusya, Beyaz Rusya, Polonya, Ukrayna, Gürcistan ve Türkiye’de binlerce satış acentemiz ve online satış portallarımız üzerinden tur operatörlüğü hizmeti veriyoruz. Avrupa’daki yapılanmamızı genişletmeye Almanya ile başladık. Birkaç ay önce Coral Travel olarak şirket kuruluşumuzu tamamlamamız ardından FERIEN Touristik’in satın alınması ile ilgili işlemleri Haziran sonunda tamamladık. Şu anda strateji, hedefler ve yapılandırma üzerinde çalışmaktayız. Yapılandırma, stratejimiz ve hedeflerimiz üzerinde çalışmalarımız netlik kazanması ile birlikte, önümüzdeki aylarda sektör ve basına açıklama yapacağımız bir lansman gerçekleştirmeyi bir planlanlıyoruz.” dedi.

46 New Focus | September / October 2017

İzmir bir batı şehri gibi İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi'nin ilk etapta 5 adetle sınırlandırdığı mini büfeler, kısa sürede İzmirlilerin büyük beğenisini kazandı. Grand Plaza şirketi, temizliği, estetiği ve uygun fiyatlarıyla öne çıkan büfelerin sayısını artırmaya hazırlanıyor. İzmir Büyükşehir Belediyesi şirketlerinden Grand Plaza, günlük yaşam içerisinde vatandaşların anlık yiyecek içecek ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması amacıyla, kentin farklı noktalarında kurduğu “Grand Büfe”lerle hizmet veriyor. Temizliği ve estetiğiyle öne çıkan büfelerde çay, kahve ve sandviçin yanısıra bisküvi, içeçek ve çerez türleri de bulunuyor. İlk etapta Bostanlı Rekreasyon Alanı, Bayraklı Fethi Sekin Parkı, Alsancak Vapur İskelesi önü, Güzelyalı Göztepe İskelesi yanı ve Narlıdere Sahilevleri kıyısına konulan sevimli büfeler, uygun fiyatlarıyla da öne çıkıyor.

Yaz ayları boyunca dondurma satışının da yapıldığı Grand Büfelerde kış ayında da sıcak salep bulunacak. Sayıları artacak olan büfelere önümüzdeki günlerde 2 tane daha eklenecek.

Yak ormanı, yap oteli Ayvalık'ta Şeytan Sofrası eteklerindeki Cennet Koyu'nda önceki gün çıkan yangının ardından 5 hektarlık yeşil alan küle döndü.

Ayvalık Tabiat Platformu sözcüsü Nebahat Dinler ile platformun Yürütme Kurulu Üyesi Erhan Çiftçi, yangında sabotaj ihtimalinin olabileceğini söyledi. Dinler, "Türkiye'de her doğal parkın giriş ve çıkışları denetim altındadır. Bu parklarda ateşle piknik yapılamaz.

Herhangi bir patika yol açılamaz. Parktaki bitkiler toplanamaz.

Doğal parklarda çıkan yangınlar genelde kasıtlı olarak çıkıyor" dedi. Çiftçi ise, "'Can kaybı yok' ama oradaki ağaçlar ve kuşların hepsi birer canlıydı. Yanan bölge Ayvalık'ın en güzel doğal ortamlarını içinde barındıran bir alandı. Yangının çıkış noktası deniz kıyısından uzak. Yani bir sigara izmariti ya da piknikçi ateşiyle başlamış olma ihtimali yok. Çoban ateşi de yok. Sabotaj ihtimali çok yüksek" dedi. Yaklaşık 5 hektarlık alanda etkili olan yangının ardından yüzlerce genç çam ağacının küle döndüğü ve ormanda yaşayan binlerce yabani hayvan ile kuşların telef olduğu öğrenildi. Öte yandan dün öğleden sonra 15.00 sıralarında aynı bölgedeki Tımarhane Adası sırtlarında bir yangın daha çıktı.

Yaklaşık 3 dönüm alanda etkili olan yangına Balıkesir Orman Bölge Müdürlüğü ile Ayvalık İtfaiye Grup Amirliği'ne bağlı 4 arazöz, 2 iş makinesi ile müdahale edildi. Ekiplerin hummalı çalışması sonrasında yangın kısa sürede söndürüldü.

Kayseri’de Düğün, İstanbul’da Balayı Kayseri’nin yıldızı Radisson Blu Hotel, düğünlerini en az 350 misafir ile gerçekleştiren çiftlere, İstanbul’un kalbinde 3 gün 3 gece unutamayacakları bir balayı tatili hediye ediyor. Kayseri’nin merkezinde yer alan Radisson Blu Hotel, Kayseri’nin prestij sembolü olmaktan ödün vermiyor. Çeşitli kampanya ve etkinliklerle kalite ve farklılığını daha çok misafire ulaştırmayı başaran otel, düğün ve nişan organizasyonları başta olmak üzere söz merasimi, kına, gelin hamamı, baby shower, toplantılar, iş yemekleri ve mezuniyet davetleri gibi çok çeşitli organizasyonlara misafir memnuniyeti odaklı olarak ‘’Radisson Blu Hotel Kayseri Farkı’’ ile ev sahipliği yapıyor.

Radisson Blu Hotel Kayseri, 350 kişi ve üzerinde düğün organizasyonlarında çiftlerine, İstanbul’un kalbinde muhteşem deniz manzaralı ödüllü otellerde 3 gün 3 gece masalsı bir balayı tatili hediye ediyor. Çiftlere ise misafir memnuniyeti ve konukseverliği ile İstanbul otelleri arasında çok özel bir yeri olan Best Western Plus The President Hotel veya Best Western Citadel Hotel’den birini seçmek kalıyor. Çiftler, isterlerse İstanbul’un tam kalbinde ve tarihi eserlerle iç içe bir konuma sahip olan BW Plus The President Hotel’de, Marmara denizinin büyüleyici manzarası eşliğinde Tarihi Yarımada’nın keyfine varabilecek, isterlerse de yine Tarihi Yarımada’da deniz kıyısında Sultanahmet Cami, Topkapı Sarayı ve Ayasofya’nın eteklerinde, yer alan BW Citadel Hotel’de muhteşem deniz kokusu eşliğinde hafızalarında iz bırakacak muhteşem bir balayı geçirebilecekler.

Radisson Blu Hotel, Ziyafet Satış Temsilcisi Tuğba Korkmaz; ‘’ Yüksek tavanlı, ferah ve kolonsuz, ileri teknoloji ile donatılmış salonlarımızda gerçekleştirdiğimiz davetlerimiz ile dillerden düşmüyoruz. Deneyimli satış ekibimiz, personelimiz ve her ihtiyaca göre yönlendirebileceğimiz salonlarımızla kaliteli düğünlerin akla gelen tek adresi olmayı hedefliyoruz. Git gide büyüyen ailemiz ve markamızla çok iddialıyız’’ dedi. www.smpublication.com 47

bülten İlber hoca ve Fatih Portakal ile Celestyal Cruises’de kongre Türkiye’den daha çok gezgini gemi seyahatiyle buluşturmayı hedefleyen uluslararası cruise firması Celestyal Cruises; kongre turizmine de evsahipliği yapıyor. Pharmasea Gemide Eczacılık Kongresi’nin üçüncüsü 1074 yolcu kapasiteli Celestyal Nefeli’de gerçekleşti. Kongrenin konukları arasında Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı, ünlü anchorman Fatih Portakal da vardı.

Ege sularında Yunan Adaları turları yapan Celestyal Cruises gemileri, sadece tatilcilerin değil kongre turizmcilerinin de gözdesi. İki yıldır Celestyal Cruises gemilerinde yapılan Pharmasea Gemide Eczacılık Kongresi’nin üçüncüsü de yine Celestyal Nefeli’de gerçekleşti. Eczacı Dergisi tarafından düzenlenen kongrenin ünlü konukları arasında Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı ve Fox TV Anahaber Sunucusu Fatih Portakal vardı.

1074 yolcu kapasiteli Celestyal Nefeli; kongre kapsamında Türk Eczacılar Birliği yönetimi ve oda başkanları ile toplam 400’ü aşkın eczacı ve ailesinden oluşan grubu ağırladı. Çeşme’den hareket ederek Ege sularına açılan Celestyal Nefeli’de eczacılar Santorini, Mikonos, Milos adaları ile başkent Atina’yı gezme fırsatı buldu. Tematik kara turlarıyla adaları keşfeden katılımcılar; vizesiz her şey dahil turda animasyonlardan gece şovlarına, SPA’dan casinoya gemide eğlenceli hayatın keyfini çıkardılar. Prof. Dr. İlber Ortaylı “Ülke gündemi ve tarihi gerçekler” başlıklı oturumda Fatih Portakal ve eczacıların sorularını yanıtladı. Fatih Portakal ise ‘’Haber sunuculuğu ve etkili konuşma sanatı’’ başlıklı bir sunum yaptı. Eczacılık mesleğinin masaya yatırıldığı kongre kapsamında ayrıca 8 bilimsel oturum gerçekleşti.

“Muhafazakar Otel”lere talep yüksek Yaz sezonunda herkes bütçesine ve yaşam biçimine göre iyi bir tatil yapmak için plan yapıyor. Son yıllarda revaçta olan muhafazakar oteller ise sadece deniz kum güneş üçlüsünden oluşmuyor. Termal, deniz ve şehir içi olmak üzere farklı seçenekleri bulunan “Muhafazakar Otel”lere talep yüksek. Muhafazakar şehir otelleri arasında özellikle Bolu, Akçakoca, Silivri, Sakarya, Kocaeli gibi İstanbul’a yakın mesafede olan oteller yükselişteyken; sağlık açısından tercih edilen muhafazakar termal oteller ise özellikle Afyon, Bolu, Aydın, Balıkesir gibi termal suyuyla ünlü şehirlerde yer alıyor.

Ramazan ayının sona ermesiyle ve Temmuz sıcaklarının kendini iyice göstermeye başlamasıyla birlikte muhafazakar camianın ertelediği yaz tatili planları şimdilerde iyice hız kazandı. Tatilini islami koşullara göre yapmak isteyen bu camia ise genellikle muhafazakar otelleri tercih ediyor. İslami koşullara ve her bütçeye uygun olan muhafazakar otellerin son yıllarda önemli oranda tercih edildiğini söyleyen Vizyon Grup çatısı altında hizmet veren muhafazakarotelim.com’un kurucularından Talha Çizmeci, Türkiye’deki 45 muhafazakar konsepte sahip hotel ve villa ile çalıştıklarını, tatilcilerin ise bu yaz özellikle Ege ve Güney sahillerinde yer alan otelleri tercih ettiğini söyledi.

Muhafazakar otellerin ailelere farklı alternatifler sunduğunu söyleyen Vizyon Grubu Yönetim Kurulu Üyesi M.Talha Çizmeci, Türkiye 45 muhafazakar konsepte sahip hotel ve villa ile çalıştıklarını söyledi. Muhafazakar otellerin; termal, deniz ve şehir içi olmak üzere farklı seçenekleri bulunduğunun altını çizen Çizmeci, “İş yoğunluğundan bunalan aileler hafta sonu kaçamağı yapmak için daha çok muhafazakar şehir otellerini tercih ediyor. Muhafazakar şehir otelleri arasında özellikle Bolu, Akçakoca, Silivri, Sakarya, Kocaeli gibi İstanbul’a yakın mesafede konumlanan mekanlar rağbet görüyor. Sağlık açısından tercih edilen muhafazakar termal oteller ise özellikle Afyon, Bolu, Aydın, Balıkesir gibi termal suyuyla ünlü şehirlerde yer alıyor. Tatillerini Ege ve Güney sahillerinde geçirmek isteyen aileler de Alanya, Marmaris, Muğla, Yalova, Kuşadası, Çeşme, Fethiye gibi Türkiye’nin en güzel tatil beldelerinde bulunan muhafazakar otelleri tercih ediyor” dedi.

13 şehirde 28 kadın plajı Türkiye'de alternatif tatilin önemli unsurlarından biri olan kadın plajları sayısı son yıllarda artarak 28'e yükseldi.

Akdeniz, Ege, Marmara ve Karadeniz kıyılarındaki kadın plajları yoğun ilgi görüyor. İmaj Fabrikası Yayınları'ndan çıkan Kadın Plajları Rehberi'nden derlenen bilgilere göre; Antalya, İzmir, Muğla, İstanbul, Tekirdağ, Kocaeli, Yalova, Bursa, Balıkesir, Ordu, Samsun, Düzce ve Trabzon'daki plajların 11'i belediyeler, beşi lüks oteller, 10'u özel işletmeciler tarafından hizmete açıldı. İki plaj ise eskiden beri kadın plajı olarak kullanılıyor. Plajlardan 10'u Ak Parti'li (Antalya, Kocaeli, Bursa, Ordu, Samsun, Düzce, Trabzon), biri CHP'li (Tekirdağ'ın Marmara Ereğlisi ilçesi) belediye tarafından işletiliyor.

Marmara Bölgesi 14 kadın plajı ile ilk sırada yer alıyor. Marmara'yı altı plajla Karadeniz, beş plajla Akdeniz izliyor. Üç kadın plajının bulunduğu Ege dördüncü sırada. En çok kadın plajı bulunan iller ise Yalova (altı plaj) ve Antalya (beş plaj).

48 New Focus | September / October 2017

Türkiye'de ilk kez hazırlanan Kadın Plajları Rehberi'nde, bütün personeli kadınlardan oluşan kadın plajlarına nasıl gidileceğinden sunulan hizmetlere, plajların telefon numaralarından handikaplara kadar merak edebileceğiniz bilgilere yer veriliyor. "Şimdi gözlerden uzakta, serin sularda özgürce yüzmek, kumlara yatıp güneşlenmek hayal değil" sloganıyla satışa sunulan rehberde, muhafazakâr kadınların en çok zorlandığı şeylerden birinin deniz tatili olduğu vurgulanıyor.

2000'li yıllardan önce Türkiye'de az sayıda bulunan kadınlara mahsus plajlar 28 Şubat sürecinde kapatılmıştı.

Bugünkü kadın plajlarından önce Osmanlı'da 'deniz hamamları' / 'derya hamamları' vardı. Moda, Beylerbeyi, Salıpazarı, Paşabahçe'de yalnız kadınlara mahsus deniz hamamları vardı. Kadıköy, Büyükada, Büyükdere, Beşiktaş, Salacak, Bebek, Kabataş, Üsküdar, Çengelköy, Tarabya, Yeniköy, Çatladıkapı, Yenikapı, Ahırkapı, Üsküdar-Ayazma İskelesi, Heybeliada, Kuleli, Beykoz, Yenimahalle, İstinye, Kuruçeşme, Kumkapı, Samatya, Makriköy (Bakırköy), Ayastefanos (Yeşilköy), Ortaköy ve Davutpaşa'daki deniz hamamlarında kadınlar ve erkekler ayrı ayrı denize girerdi.

XX. asır başlarında artık sadece Pâyitaht'ta değil; İzmir, Antalya, Mersin, Beyrut, Lazkiye, Bingazi, Selanik ve bazı Karadeniz şehirlerinde deniz hamamlarına rastlanmaktaydı.

Osmanlı'dan adet kalan 'deniz hamamları' 1970'lerde ortadan kalkmıştı. Deniz hamamlarının yerini bugün kadın plajları aldı.

Alkollü içki satışına ayar Alkollü içki satışına çeşit artırma zorunluluğu getiren yeni düzenlemeyle işletmeler sattıkları tüm içkileri menüye almak zorunda. İşletme belgesi olmayan alkol satamayacak.

Alkollü içki piyasasındaki rekabet ortamını güçlendirmek için yeni bir düzenlemeye giden Tütün ve Alkol Piyasası Düzenleme Kurumu (TAPDK) satışlara ‘çeşidi artırma' zorunluluğu getirdi. Dünkü Resmi Gazete'de yayımlanarak yürürlüğe giren düzenleme kapsamında alkollü içki satışı yapan işletmeler, aynı kategorideki birden fazla firmanın ürününü tüketicinin tercihine sunacak.

Düzenleme ile tüketiciye tercih imkanı sunabilecek çeşitlilikte ürün bulundurulması hedeflenirken, satışa sunulan alkollü içkilerin tamamına menülerde yer verilmesi zorunlu hale getirildi.

Alkollü içki satışı yapmak isteyen cafe, restoran, perakende satış noktaları ve turizm işletmeleri gibi işletmeler önceki düzenlemeler doğrultusunda TAPDK'dan yetki almaya devam edecek.

Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı'ndan turizm işletmesi belgesi veya kısmi turizm işletmesi belgesi almış kişilerin, satış yapılacak yerle, örgün eğitim kurumları ve dershaneler, öğrenci yurtları ve ibadethaneler arasında kapıdan kapıya en az 100 metre mesafe bulunması zorunluluğundan muafiyetleri de aynen devam edecek. Daha önce turizm yatırım belgeleri kapsamında satış belgesi alıp yatırıma başlayanlar ise Mart 2019 sonuna kadar yatırımlarını tamamlaması ve turizm işletmesi alması durumunda 100 metre şartından muaf tutulacak.( Şinasi Kula) Free Shop’larda yeni düzenleme Artık free-shoplardaki parfüm ve kozmetik numuneleri için de yeni bir dönem başlıyor. Buna göre, söz konusu numunelerin boş şişeleri birer aylık dönemler itibariyle, gümrük müdürlüğüne ibraz edilecek ve gümrük müdürlüğünün gözetiminde tutanak düzenlenerek imha edilecek. Mağaza işletmecilerinin kusur ve hatalarından ileri gelmeyen kayıp, çalınma ve diğer haller dolayısıyla meydana gelen ve gümrük müdürlüğüne ispat edilebilen eksiklikler hariç olmak üzere, boş şişesi gümrük idaresine ibraz edilemeyen her bir parfüm numunesi için, gümrük vergileri tahsil edilecek.

Bu şekilde boş şişesi gümrük idaresine ibraz edilemeyen parfüm numunelerinin toplam sayısının, aylık satış listesine göre o ay içerisinde satışı yapılan parfüm sayısının yüzde 1’ini aşması durumunda, idari para cezası uygulanacak. Mağazalarda müşterilere bedelsiz olarak verilen azami 10 ml’lik eşantiyonlar ise, bu kapsamda olmayacak. Tüm mağaza ve depoların bir ay içinde bu şarta uygun hale getirilmesi gerekecek.

Yeni yönetmeliğe göre, nakil vasıtaları sürücüleri ve hizmetlileri, sınır kapılarından Türkiye’ye giriş yaparken, en fazla 100 cl’lik 1 adet alkollü içki ve en fazla 120 ml’lik 1 adet parfümü, sınır kapılarında açılan mağazalardan satın alabilecekler. Bakanlık yetkilileri bu sınırlamanın sadece “nakil vasıtaları” için geçerli olduğunu belirtirken; daha önce bu tür girişlerde free-shop alışverişi için geçerli olan “gittikleri ülkede en az 3 gün kalma şartınının” da kaldırıldığını belirtti. Yetkililer, diğer yolcu alışverişlerindeki free-shop alışveriş limitleriyle ilgili olaraksa, herhangi bir değişikliğin bulunmadığı bilgisini verdi.

www.smpublication.com 49

KISA KISA Yönetciler »» Gaye Azami Kurt Sheraton Ataköy Istanbul’a satış ve pazarlama direktörü olarak atandı. »» Özgür Aldemir Göçtur Turizm‘e satış ve pazarlama direktörü oldu. »» Elif Tanyel Hilton Garden Inn İstanbul Airport satış müdürü oldu. »» Emirhan Saraç DoubleTree by Hilton İstanbul Topkapı satış direktörü oldu. »» Hilton İstanbul Kozyatağı’nın satış direktörlüğüne Ilgın Eğilmezer getirildi. »» Prontotour, pazarlamadan sorumlu Genel Müdür Yardımcılığı’na Gürkan Erol’u getirdi. »» Pelin Erbil Elite World Hotels ‘in satış ve pazarlama müdürü oldu. »» Derya Gülünay, Setur Pazarlama ve Kurumsal İletişim Müdürü oldu. »» Levent Şen Maxholiday Hotels Stone Palace, Side otel müdürü oldu. »» Tarik Yalçın Hilton Dalaman Sarıgerme Resort & Spa’nın satış ve pazarlama direktörü oldu.

Tesisler »» Milta Turizm’in tamamı 105 milyon dolara Koç Holding’in Tek Art Kalamış şirketine satıldı. »» Hilton grubu Hilton Garden Inn Kocaeli Şekerpınar’ın açıldığını duyurdu. »» Salomon Kapadokya Ultra-Trail® yarışı, 21-22 Ekim tarihleri arasında düzenlenecek. »» Carlson Rezidor Otel Grubu 15 Ağustos – 15 Ekim 2017 % 30 yaz indirimi uyguluyor. »» Marmaris Selimiye’de yeni butik konaklama tesisi olan Aria Butik Otel açıldı. »» Dedeman’ın internetten otel rezervasyonu yüzde 26 arttı »» Rixos Birleşik Arap Emirlikleri’ndeki üçüncü oteli Dubai Jumeirah Beach Residence’ı açtı. »» Maxholiday hotels Belek ve Maxholiday Hotels Side Stone Palace açıldı. »» Divan Ankara renovasyonun ardından 1 Ekim’de hizmet vermeye devam edecek.

Havayolları »» Atlasglobal’in Irak Necef uçuşları başladı. »» Geçen yılın ilk altı ayında 1 milyar 894 milyon TL zarar eden THY, bu yıl zararını aynı dönem için 1 milyar 615 milyon TL olarak açıkladı. »» THY Phuket’e direkt seferlere başladı. »» Anadolujet İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen - Antalya uçuşları 7 Ağustos’da başladı. »» Pegasus Ankara – Odessa uçuşlarına başladı. »» Air Berlin, mahkemeye başvurarak iflasını istedi. »» SunExpress, Ordu-Giresun Havalimanı’ndan Düsseldorf, Hannover, Stuttgart ve Frankfurt uçuşlarına 1 Ağustos’ta başladı. »» Onur Air Bodrum seferlerini günde 3’e çıkardı. »» Corendon Airlines, Almanya’dan 2017/18 kış tarifesini açıkladı. »» Emirates ve flydubai, ortaklık anlaşmasıyla güçlerini birleştiriyor. »» Emirates Türkiye’deki 30. yılını kutluyor. »» Aeroflot’un “low cost - ucuz fiyatlı Pobeda Havayolu İstanbul’a direkt seferlere başlama kararı aldı. »» NordWind Havayolu Omsk-arasında her gün direk tarifeli sefer yapma izni aldı.

Acentalar »» Lübnan Seyahat Acentaları Birliği (ATTAL) Başkanı Jean Abboud TÜRSAB davetlisi olarak İstanbul’a geldi. »» Prontotour, balayı çiftlerine farklı coğrafyalardan farklı alternatifler sunuyor. »» Kadir Uğur Ben Swiss Yatch ile Dünya turuna Kuşadası’ndan başladı. »» Odamigo, Türkiye’deki seyahat acentelerine yurt dışı tren bileti kesebilme imkânı tanıyor. »» Türkiye’ye çalışan Macar tur operatörü Green Travel, resmen iflasını açıkladı.

New Focus Kasım / Aralık 2017 | Haber ve Reklamlarınız için son gün 27 Ekim 2017 Eylül 07-09 ITE - Ho Chi Minh 09-23 Women Annual Festival - Lesvos 22-24 Sevenstaraward - Athens 26-28 IT&CMA - Bangkok 26-29 Top Resa - Paris 27-29 Tourbusiness - Minsk

FUARLAR Ekim 03-05 Tourism on the Silk Road - Tashkent 04-06 UITM - Kiev 9-11 TOUR SALON - Poznan 12-14 TTG - Rimini 19-21 Tour Expo Lviv - Ukraıne 25-27 ITB-Asia - Singapore

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CAMBODIA TRAVEL MART Sokha Siem Reap Resort & Convention Center, Siem Reap, Cambodia

17th - 19th November 2017

The inaugural Cambodia Travel Mart aims to a leading annual international travel event selling Cambodia and the region to the world. CTM will feature Leading Travel Industry Suppliers from Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and will attract regional and international buyers and media buying and reporting on these destinations. Buyers, suppliers, trade professionals, association leaders and media partners from the tourism and travel organizations meet and exchange the latest and new developments in the industry and develop more business growth.

212 Booths, 200 Sellers, 200 Buyers, 50 Media 200+ Buyers 200+ Exibitors

from China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India and EU (UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Scandinavian

from travel agents, hotels, and airlines including other fields from education, restaurants, hopistal, spa, massage and other related sectors.

50% MICE | 50% Leisure Organized by

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