New Focus Travel Magazine March - April 2018

March / April 2018 No: 159

Gaziantep The City of Heros

BIT Milan Exhibition EMITT Istanbul Exhibition

Ayutthaya Prontotour Geleneksel ToplantÄąsÄą

Destinasyon

EDITOR’S NOTE

In 2017 32.5 million foreign tourists came to Turkey. Impressions of the first 2 months in 2018 are positive. Finally, there is good news about Turkish tourism. TUI, which is one of the world’s largest tourism agencies in the world, announced 70 percent increase in demand for Turkey. This statement of TUI, which operates in 180 countries worldwide and takes 30 million people for a holiday, is very important.

Last year, most tourists to Turkey came from Russia. The number of Russian tourists is approaching 5 million and it is expected that it will increase even more this year. Sources say that number of bookings for Turkey from UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Iran is almost doubled.

The world’s tourism movement is growing every year. Conflicts, chaos, and wars in the world will not be able to slow down the growth of tourism.

In this issue, we bring you lots of news and interesting tourism stories. We present you important city of Turkish tourism - Gaziantep with its delicious cuisine and the biggest Mosaic museum of the world.

We wish you sunny days in the coming spring.

Suat Töre

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4 New Focus | March / April 2018

6 Turkey News 10 Inbrief 12 World News 16 Hotels 18 Airlines 22 Exhibition BIT Milan 24 Exhibition EMITT Istanbul 26 Cover Story Gaziantep 36 Destinasyon: Ayutthaya 44 Acenta: Prontotour 46 Bülten 50 Kısa Kısa

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Turkey news

Erciyes hosted the opening event of the 2018 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour The trendy sport of Snow Volleyball is now growing across Turkey. The opening event of the 2018 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour took place 12-14 January 2018 at the Mount Erciyes, Turkey for the third time. Mount Erciyes, which is one of the highest peaks in Turkey, has new ski resorts that are now becoming more and more popular all around Turkey and in Europe as well.

A total of 76 players from 11 countries (Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Turkey) participated the event. The winning teams in both men's and women's category received 1000 euro prize.

The first stop of the 2018 CEV Snow Volleyball European Tour was one of the major highlights on the programme throughout this winter season. The tournament featured a DJ right by the centre court to contribute to a perfect atmosphere. The event had some extra fun times and shows along with Snow Volleyball activities. The players and visitors had the opportunity to taste the delicious Turkish cuisine, with dishes including sucuk, pastirma, yaglama, yag mantisi, and katmer.

be held in Uludag, Bursa from 1 to 4 March 2018.

A total of three medals for Russia, two for Turkey and one for the Czech Republic were presented in this much anticipated season opener. The next event in Turkey will

Istanbul hosted the World Business Angels Investment Forum The World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF), committed to collaborate globally to empower the economic development of the world by fostering innovative financial instruments for SMEs, innovators and startups, has been organized at the Swissotel, The Bosphorus Istanbul between February 18 and 20, 2018.

For the first time ever, WBAF 2018 had 5 important summits running concurrently and hosted more than 1000 delegates from around the world.

6  New Focus | March / April 2018

Speaking at the opening ceremony of World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF), Baybars Altuntas, the WBAF chairman, said that Turkey provides the highest tax incentive in the world for angel investors partnering with entrepreneurs through capital support. He said that Turkey offers 75 percent or 100 percent tax exemption on income tax basis to the investors partnering with entrepreneurs.

The Congress hosted three important agreement signing ceremony in the opening part. Agreements between WBAF and IFC – International Finance Corporation, Anjos de Brazil - Brazilian Trade Association for Business Angels and Unity Group, all have a common goal: Easing access to finance.

For the first time ever, WBAF opens its doors to Start-ups, Scale-ups and High-growth businesses. 50 startup or scale-up or high-growth businesses each have a 4-square-metre area to showcase their business at the event. They will thus have exposure to highly qualified angel investors, family office executives, coinvestment fund managers, angel investment group directors, corporate venture executives, accelerator executives, techno park investment directors and venture capitalists. The mission is to showcase the world’s top start-ups and scale-ups, which, typically, are funded companies in the process of raising €500K – €3M, with the aim of globalizing.

Istanbul threatens major airports in the Gulf Analysis by ForwardKeys reveals that the major airports in the Gulf, Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, are all losing market share of transit passengers to Istanbul. ForwardKeys’ data for the first Quarter of 2018 shows that flight bookings for passengers changing planes in Istanbul are currently 21% ahead of where they were at this time last year whereas the equivalent transit bookings through Dubai and Doha are showing no growth and those through Abu Dhabi are 14% behind. The decline in Abu Dhabi is reflective of Etihad reducing capacity and dropping its partnership strategy. In terms of the relative size of transit business, Istanbul is bigger than Abu Dhabi but a quarter the size of the three major Gulf airports combined.

Istanbul’s growth is partly due to the success of specific routes including New York and Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, San Francisco to Delhi, London to Antalya, Hamburg to Antalya and Frankfurt to Tehran. Looking in more detail at the nationalities of those people in transit, the most significant increases are due to come from the UK, where bookings are 30% ahead of the equivalent point in 2017, the USA 52% ahead, Germany 35% ahead, India 17% ahead, China 5% ahead and Russia 70% ahead.

Istanbul will be pleased to take a bite of the transit segment because transit passengers often spend their time in the airport shopping and a growing number of them will make the airport a more lucrative proposition for the airport’s retailers.

On 29th October, Istanbul’s new airport is due to open officially. It aims to be a global aviation hub, serving 90 million passengers in its first phase. Eventually, it expects to become the world’s busiest, with six runways and capacity for 200 million passengers. www.smpublication.com 7

Turkey news Olivier Jager, CEO, ForwardKeys, said: “In addition to the success of various routes, Istanbul’s growth has been helped by a reduction in terrorist incidents in Turkey since 2015, when a wave of bomb attacks hit both Istanbul the city and Istanbul the airport.” He added: “One also should pay tribute to Doha for maintaining its transit volumes in the face of a diplomatic spat with its neighbors, which saw Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE close their airspace to Qatar Airways flights last June.”

Uzbekistan started visa-free travel for 7 countries including Turkey Uzbekistan will allow 30-day visa-free entry to citizens of seven countries including Turkey. In order to create favorable conditions for boosting Uzbekistan’s tourism potential, citizens of Turkey, Israel, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan will no longer need to apply or pay for a visa.

The crews of foreign aircraft operating regular flights to Uzbekistan will also be issued visa-free entry.

The decree also enables simplified tourist visas application for 39 countries including Australia, Albania, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden and Saudi Arabia.

The decree introduces e-visa service for foreigners entering the country starting July 1, 2018.

TURSAB has a new President The 23rd General Assembly of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB) is held last weekend in Istanbul. The term for Başaran Ulusoy, who headed the association uninterrupted for 18 years, has officially ended.

A total of 3668 members attended the General Assembly at Istanbul Convention and Exhibition Center.

From the total 3622 votes, candidate Firuz Baglikaya received 2200 votes, Çetin Gürcün received 1057, Emin Çakmak 357. 28 votes were not valid. Firuz Baglikaya received 60% of votes, while Çetin Gürcün received 28%, and Emin Çakmak received 9% of total votes.

New Board Members are as follows Executive Committee Members Firuz Barbaros Bağlıkaya Hasan Erdem Mehmet Nezih Hacıalioğlu İbrahim Halil Kalay Hacı İbrahim Canatan Ali Bilir Ahmet Özden Selçuk Boynueğri Bedirhan Bayka

8 New Focus | March / April 2018

Alternates Cüneyt Tansu Demir Murat Şirin Murat Karabulut Ayhan Eroğlu Aylin Güneşli Mücella Tarhan Cengiz Dağdeviren Özgen Uysal Hüseyin Kurt

HOTEL & RESTAURANT

Since 1992

Turkey news TAV buys Antalya International Airport Turkey's global brand in airport operations, TAV Airports is buying IC ictas' 49% stake in ICF Antalya, the joint-venture that manages Antalya Airport. Consequently, the number of airports in TAV's portfolio reaches 18 and the annual number of passengers served increases to approximately 141 million.

The share purchase agreement between TAV and IC İçtaş will be finalized following the approval by the State Airports Authority and the Competition Authority. TAV will have co-control of the company and 50% dividend rights. Turkey's second biggest in terms of international passenger traffic, Antalya Airport had served more than 26 million passengers in 2017.

TAV Airports President and CEO Sani Şener said, "Our core business is airport management and we continue to focus on this industry. We will be happy to partner with Fraport in Antalya, one of the most prominent tourism destinations in the Mediterranean. Today, our services and products are used in 77 airports across 19 countries. With our extensive know-how, we aim to work towards strengthening Antalya's true potential.

We'll continue looking for opportunities on a global scale and growing in the airport management industry".

Fraport has been operating Antalya Airports since 1999. Lastly, in March 2007, Fraport-IC İçtaş partnership won the tender to operate the airport until 31 December 2024.

In Brief Şule Altıntaş named General Manafger of Crowne Plaza İstanbul Oryapark.

Murat Kodan named General Manafger of Kuşadası Pine Bay Holiday Resort. Çetin Gürcün has been elected as Vice President of UFTAA, United Federation of Travel Agents’ Associations.

Korhan Kelebek has been appointed General Manager at The Bodrum by Paramount Hotels.

Ahmet Can Yeşildağ named General Manager o Titanic Hotel Bayrampaşa. Özkan Altan is the new General Manager of Hilton Istanbul Maslak.

Hakan Aybek is the new General Manager of Hampton by Hilton Kahramanmaras.

Metin Peltek is the new General Manager of Ghazal Resort Thalasso – Kemer.

The Ritz-Carlton İstanbul named Nicolas A. Kipper its new General Manager.

10 New Focus | March / April 2018

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WORLD news UNWTO: International tourist arrivals grew remarkably in 2017 World Tourism Organization announced the 2017 international tourism results. Based on data reported by destinations around the world, international tourist arrivals grew by 7% in 2017, reaching a total of 1.322 million. UNWTO expects this strong momentum to continue in 2018 at a rate of 4%-5%.

According to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) worldwide increased 7% in 2017. This is well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher growth since 2010 and represents the strongest results in seven years.

Led by Mediterranean destinations, Europe recorded extraordinary results for such a large and rather mature region, with 8% more international arrivals than in 2016. Africa consolidated its 2016 rebound with an 8% increase. Asia and the Pacific recorded 6% growth, the Middle East 5% and the Americas 3%.

Results were partly shaped by the global economic upswing and the robust outbound demand from many traditional and emerging source markets, particularly a rebound in tourism spending from Brazil and the Russian Federation after a few years of declines.

“International travel continues to grow strongly, consolidating the tourism sector as a key driver in economic development. As the third export sector in the world, tourism is essential for job creation and the prosperity of communities around the world.” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili. “Yet as we continue to grow we must work closer together to ensure this growth benefits every member of every host community, and is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals”.

The current strong momentum is expected to continue in 2018, though at a more sustainable pace after eight years of steady expansion following the 2009 economic and financial crisis. Based on current trends, economic prospects and the outlook by the UNWTO Panel of Experts, UNWTO projects international tourist arrivals worldwide to grow at a rate of 4%-5% in 2018. This is somewhat above the 3.8% average increase projected for the period 2010-2020 by UNWTO in its Tourism Towards 2030 long-term forecast.

Europe and the Americas are both expected to grow by 3.5%-4.5%, Asia and the Pacific by 5%-6%, Africa by 5%-7% and the Middle East by 4%-6%.

American Express has acquired Virtual travel assistant Mezi

providers.

American Express has acquired Mezi, the AI-based virtual travel assistant, for an undisclosed amount. After the deal closes, Mezi will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Express. Mezi users send requests for flights, hotels and restaurant reservations through the app’s SMS-like interface. Mezi then makes suggestions and, once it figures out what users want to do, forwards requests to human assistants to finalize bookings. Founded in 2015 as a personal shopping chatbot, Mezi builds its own deep learning and natural language processing systems instead of using services by IBM Watson and other

American Express Digital Labs vice president Phil Norman said “With messaging emerging as the channel of choice for many, and the demand for unique experiences increasing, we believe the combination of Mezi’s capabilities with our global network of expert travel counselors creates a differentiated, high-touch service experience for our card members.”

According to Crunchbase, Mezi raised a total of $11.8 million, including a $9 million Series A announced in July 2016 that was led by American Express Ventures, the company’s investment arm.

12 New Focus | March / April 2018

Andorra hosts World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism The 10th edition of the World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism will take place from 21 to 23 March 2018 in Andorra, under the title “Shaping the Future of Hospitality in Mountain Destinations”. The Congress is organized by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Andorra and the Commune of Escaldes-Engordany.

The event, which is held every two years, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year. The meeting will bring together a wide variety of tourism professionals, ranging from managers of mountain tourism destinations to entrepreneurs in the accommodation sector.

This edition will feature some thirty international speakers and will be inaugurated by Antoni Martí, Head of Government of Andorra, Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General, and Trini Marín, Mayor of Escaldes-Engordany.

During the Congress, participants will address topics such as the repositioning of tourism accommodation, the challenges of hospitality, the impact of new platforms tourism services or the so called sharing economy, artificial intelligence, and training as key elements for the success of a destination.

The event will be structured in six sessions, which will be held on 21 and 22 March at the Andorra la Vella Congress Centre. On Friday, 23 March, a technical visit will include a tour of the new facilities of ActuaTech in Caldea-Inúu, as well as various leisure activities.

Airbnb partners with SiteMinder Airbnb launched its first global hotel technology partnership with SiteMinder, the leading cloud platform for hotels to attract and book guests across the globe. Under the new partnership, traditional hospitality businesses that use SiteMinder and meet Airbnb’s hospitality standards can quickly and seamlessly list rooms on the platform. The new technology developed jointly by the two companies will now make it possible for hotels to connect booking information to their existing management system in real-time.

“Small hotels and B&Bs have long used Airbnb and now we’re building new tools and partnerships to help these local businesses thrive,” said Cameron Houser, Airbnb’s Program Manager for Hotels. “We are dedicated to working with small hospitality businesses that excel at offering the best guest experiences and living our mission of belonging and we couldn’t ask for a better partner than SiteMinder. SiteMinder is the industry leader and we look forward to continuing to work together to support boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts around the world.”

“In an increasingly-complex and competitive world, SiteMinder’s partnership with Airbnb offers a new opportunity for boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts to engage the growing number of travelers who seek exceptional hospitality and an authentic local experience,” said Mike Ford, Managing Director and Founder of SiteMinder. “We are delighted to provide an innovative technology solution that now makes it easy for these small accommodation providers to reach the millions of customers who use Airbnb everyday, and get time back to provide memorable experiences for guests.”

SiteMinder’s more than 28,000 clients include leading boutique hotels, hotel ownership groups, and many other hospitality providers globally. Guests can expect the locally-influenced and unique accommodations they expect when booking an Airbnb listing.

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WORLD news The Priceline Group Inc. changes its name to Booking Holdings Inc. The Priceline Group Inc. changed its name to Booking Holdings Inc. It begins trading under its new ticker symbol, BKNG. The company is best known in the United States for Priceline, the popular reservation website for hotels, flights and rental cars.

Glenn Fogel, Chief Executive Officer of Booking Holdings, said, "Over the last two decades, our business has expanded from just priceline.com, operating solely in the United States, into six primary brands with headquarters around the globe, operating in more than 220 countries and territories in over 40 languages, fulfilling one unified mission of helping people experience the world. Today, our largest brand is Booking.com, which has more than 1.5 million properties, averages over one million bookings per day and produces a significant majority of Booking Holdings' gross bookings and operating profit. We are at a defining moment in our company's history-making this change to more accurately align our company name with our largest business, connect our collective brands to a name that reflects their shared capability to help customers book amazing experiences, as well as better reflect the truly global operation that we have become today."

Booking Holdings consists of six primary brands: Booking.com, priceline.com, KAYAK, agoda.com, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable. Booking Holdings, the parent organization, will continue to operate out of its current headquarters in Norwalk, CT, USA.

Most of the business travelers enjoy traveling A new secret is revealed: frequent business travelers are taking time for fun and personal activities during their business trips. According to National's survey, despite the challenges, 92 percent of business travelers report feeling satisfied with their quality of life on the road.

New research from the first National Car Rental State of Business Travel Survey shows frequent business travelers are displaying a healthy habit of managing work/life balance on the road – but many are keeping it to themselves. Overall, 80 percent of business travelers feel they deserve to take a break from work and make time for themselves during business trips. Yet 38 percent think telling their bosses about fun and/or personal activities while traveling is a "no-go;" 40 percent avoid telling co-workers, and 31 percent aren't telling their spouses or significant others. One fourth (25 percent) of business travelers even go so far as to avoid posting on social media about fun times had while on the road.

But all the secrecy may be unwarranted. Results from the National survey show that nearly all bosses and supervisors surveyed (92 percent) support their employees when they take time out to enjoy themselves while traveling for business.

"Business travel may seem glamorous to some, but the reality of navigating airports, managing hectic meeting schedules and sleeping in unfamiliar places can become tiresome and stressful over time," said Ron Connors, vice president of brand marketing for National. "We're in the business of helping frequent travelers mitigate some of that stress by providing them with an expedited, efficient rental process. So we were pleasantly surprised to see our survey results showed not only are frequent business travelers finding ways to balance both business expectations and personal interests on the road but that their bosses support them in doing so."

In fact, striking that balance to make business travel more enjoyable has clear benefits. According to National's survey, despite the challenges, 92 percent of business travelers report feeling satisfied with their quality of life on the road. The majority (57 percent) report working more hours and 48 percent say they have more focus when traveling for business. In addition, 40 percent state they're more efficient on the road and 51 percent stay calmer when they travel for business compared to their everyday lives.

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Soak Up Taiwan’s Hot Springs Culture in These Five Natural Baths A rejuvenating soak has long been a vital part of Taiwanese culture. Here are some of the top places to take a dip.

Guanziling Hot Springs It’s common for people to do a second take when they see Guanziling Hot Springs for the first time. Due to its beautiful location on the side of Zhentou Mountain in south-central Taiwan, the water has a darkish-gray tint due to abundance of subterranean rock strata. This has result in an increase in mineral content that some believe has benefits like softening and glowing of the skin. The area is home to several resorts boasting healing waters, but the most popular attraction is undoubtedly the Water and Fire Cave, a true natural wonder where fire appears to dance atop a natural spring. The phenomenon results from a fissure that releases both spring water and natural gas, which, according to legend, has been continuously burning for centuries, discovered accidentally by a passing monk. Although locals say the flame has decreased in size over the decades, visitors can still witness this anomaly of fire commingling with water.

Beitou District Because of its location just 20 minutes north of central Taipei, the Beitou District has become the go-to spot for both locals and visitors in need of an accessible, soothing escape that feels miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Wedged into the mountains, Beitou is often shrouded in mist or blanketed by stream rising from the area’s numerous hot springs, many of which have been developed into private resorts and spas. This preponderance of thermal choices makes Beitou the Goldilocks of Taiwan, with springs available in a variety of temperatures.

Yangmingshan Hot Spring Area Located within the Yangmingshan National Park, this area at the northern tip of Taiwan is home to waterfalls, grassy fields and a smattering of volcanoes known as the Tatun Volcano Group. This natural area boasts the highest concentration of hot springs in Taiwan, and each one has its own unique mineral makeup and temperature.

Lisong Hot Spring It takes a little bit of effort to reach Lisong Hot Spring, but it’s well worth the trek. Guides are available for hire to help travelers navigate the springs, which are located in a valley crisscrossed by creeks and dotted by wild orchids. Once there, you’ll be rewarded by a magical sight: a hot springs waterfall crashing down from the side of a cliff stained green from minerals—perfect for a natural shower. Nearby hikers can soak in pools of various temperatures overhung by old growth trees before plunging into the refreshing cool waters of the Hsinwulu River.

Chaojih Hot Springs, Green Island Chaojih or Jhaorih Hot Springs on Green Island is one of only a handful of known saltwater hot springs anywhere in the world. Here natural hot water bubbles into circular sets of pools on the beach, offering magnificent views and the opportunity to cool down in the ocean waves. Unlike most of Taiwan's hot springs, these waters are sulfur-odour free and open 24-hours from March through October.

www.smpublication.com 15

hotels Marriott International adds more than 470 hotels to its portfolio in 2017 Marriott International, Inc. announced that 2017 represented its most successful year for signing development contracts outside North America. Globally, at year end 2017, the company operated or franchised more than 6,500 hotels and over 1.25 million rooms, with a third of the rooms located outside North America.

Marriott International and its franchisees opened more than 470 hotels with over 76,000 rooms around the world during the year, amplifying the company’s brand recognition among guests, owners and franchisees.

In 2017, the company signed more than 750 contracts for new hotels representing nearly 125,000 rooms under long‐term management and franchise agreements. Its global pipeline grew to a record 460,000 rooms, with over half located outside of North America.

Outside of North America, Marriott opened over 140 hotels and approximately 30,000 rooms in 2017.

In the Asia Pacific market alone, the company opened 18,000 rooms and signed 31,000 rooms in 2017.

Today, the Asia Pacific market represents 15 percent of our global rooms but nearly a third of the company’s pipeline. Greater China alone represents 8 percent of the company’s global rooms and 19 percent of the year-end pipeline. In Europe, Marriott opened 5,800 rooms and signed 12,000 rooms in 2017. Hotels in Europe represent 9 percent of Marriott’s global room distribution.

In North America, there were 329 hotel openings in 2017 and 482 contracts signed. Interest also grew in the Caribbean and Latin American region with 19 hotel openings with a record 37 signed deals in 2017. In the Middle East and Africa region, Marriott opened 12 hotels and ended the year with 30 signed contracts.

In 2017, Marriott seized on the growing demand for select service hotels worldwide, signing a record 578 contracts for its 11 brands such as Courtyard, Moxy, and AC. Outside of North America, select service signings totaled 158 contracts with particular strength in the Asia Pacific region. In North America alone, the company opened 270 select service hotels and signed 420 select service agreements.

U.S. Millennial Travelers Still Prefer Hotels over Airbnb According to a new report on the future of U.S. Millennial travel by Resonance Consultancy, American travelers between 20 and 36 years of age prefer full-service hotels to an Airbnb rental, even as the homesharing service expands in 65,000 cities and in preparation for an imminent IPO. The report surveyed more than 1,500 active U.S. Millennial travelers finding that despite 52% of respondents saying they regularly or occasionally use owner-direct rental services like Airbnb, it is actually among their least preferred accommodation choices. Only 23% said that a short-term apartment and/or condo rental was their preferred type of accommodation.

Millennial traveler respondents cited full-service hotels as their first choice, staying with friends/family as second, followed by all-inclusive resorts. Roughly a third of Millennial travelers prefer upscale/luxury hotels/resorts (35%), followed by camping (33%).

"Findings in the 2018 Future of Millennial Travel Report are contrary to the prevailing belief that hotels are in trouble with younger travelers who prefer homesharing," says Chris Fair, president of Resonance Consultancy.

Millennial traveler respondents cited full-service hotels as their first choice, staying with friends/family as second, followed by all-inclusive resorts. Roughly a third of Millennial travelers prefer upscale/luxury hotels/resorts (35%), followed by camping (33%).

16 New Focus | March / April 2018

PATA works together with hotels to reduce food waste Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is seeking to engage further with hotels who would like to reduce their food waste to landfill, hotels already implementing food waste solutions, potential partners and sponsors, as well as those who would like to help us in raising awareness and building a better understanding for food excess in tourism.

Right now 842 million people do not have enough to eat and with an estimated world population of 9.8 billion people in 2050 resources will be limited and more people will be hungry. In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), PATA is launching the BUFFET Campaign to raise awareness of food waste in our industry to drive positive change.

The BUFFET (Building an Understanding For Food Excess in Tourism) Initiative is about bringing together a coalition of industry partners and PATA members to create and implement a campaign that challenges our industry, particularly the hospitality sector, to reduce food waste to landfill.

PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy said, “With significant growth expected in the industry and especially the Asia Pacific region in the near future, greater waste can be expected. Our aim is to curb that waste by bringing the tourism and hospitality sectors together to reduce our impact on the planet by reducing our industry’s food waste to landfill. Reducing food waste will reduce the cost for operators in the industry while benefiting the environment at the same time.”

The main activities in this initiative include the raising awareness of food waste in our industry and the creation of Asia-Pacific focused resources for hoteliers and other hospitality and tourism professionals to drive positive change and ultimately reduce their food waste to landfill. While this initiative aims to impact our industry at large, will be focusing additional efforts on hotels and food and beverage providers in Asia, and specific hotel properties in Bangkok in our Bangkok Hotels Project, with the expertise of Thai-SOS.

Top 15 booking channels of 2017 for the Middle East’s hotels The global hotel industry’s leading cloud platform, SiteMinder, reveals the 15 booking channels that generated the greatest revenue for hotels in the Middle East and other key tourism destinations in 2017.

The lists are based on the 72 million hotel reservations that passed through SiteMinder’s channel management solution during the year to produce US$21.53 billion in gross revenue for the company’s 28,000 hotel customers around the world.

Speaking on the top performers in the Middle East, Ruairi Conroy, Managing Director – EMEA at SiteMinder, adds: “The appearances of channels such as Mr & Mrs Smith, Prestigia, Lastminute.com and Epoque Hotels on the list show the growing value of travellers from the UK and USA to the Middle Eastern hotel market. However, it’s clear hotels in the Middle East need not only attract international travellers, but also domestic travellers, with locally-based Lots of Hotels making the list.”

The Middle East’s top 15 booking channels collectively contributed 87 percent of all revenue that passed through SiteMinder’s channel manager for hotels in the country in 2017, proving their effectiveness in attracting, reaching and converting today’s consumer.

The top 15 revenue-generating booking channels for hotels in the Middle East were: 1. Booking.com 9. HRS - Hotel Reservation Service 2. Expedia 10. Mr & Mrs Smith 3. GTA 11. Prestigia 4. Agoda 12. Lots of Hotels 5. Hotelbeds 13. Epoque Hotels 6. Hotel websites (direct bookings) 14. Sunhotels 7. Global distribution systems 15. Lastminute.com 8. HotelsCombined

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airlines Turkish Airlines orders more Airbus aircrafts Turkish Airlines and Airbus signed a MoU to acquire 20+5 optional A350-900 aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Élysée Palace, Paris, during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to France with French President Emmanuel Macron.

“With Turkish Airlines serving more destinations than any other airline around the world, we will be delighted to rely on our new A350 XWB to further develop our major international routes from Turkey.” said M. İlker Aycı, Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Turkish Airlines. Aycı went on to say; “With this agreement today, we have signed our good will to carry on and finalize the acquisition with Airbus. Our agreement is a significant step forward in enhancing our passengers’ flight experience. This order is set to play a key role in our growing business in the years to come. As we will be strictly evaluating during the talks to finalize the order, furthermore the increased business volume for the local Turkish supplier industry by Airbus will be a great gain for the sector."

Turkey is an integral part of the Airbus supply chain for almost 20 years, being a partner in all Airbus aircraft programmes, including the prestigious A350 XWB. While Airbus focusses on the continued development of long-term cooperation projects with Turkey, the Turkish aeronautical industries progressively have embarked and built-up a remarkable portfolio of high capabilities and skills over the last 10 years.

The A350 XWB is an all new family of mid-size wide-body long-haul airliners shaping the future of air travel. The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, carbon fiber fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these latest technologies translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency, with a 25 per cent reduction in fuel burn and emissions, and significantly lower maintenance costs. The A350 XWB features an Airspace cabin which, on top of the aircraft spaciousness and quietness, provides better ambience, design and services, contributing to superior levels of comfort and well-being, and setting new standards in terms of flight experience for all passengers.

Pegasus Airlines airplane skidded off the runway, hangs down off a cliff A Pegasus Airlines airplane skidded off the runway of Trabzon Airport in Turkey, and ended up halfway down the cliff and with its nose staring down at the Black Sea. Pegasus Airlines said in a statement, “We’re sorry to report that the Boeing 737-800 type TC-CPF registered aircraft of Pegasus Airlines Flight Number PC 8622 Ankara-Trabzon flight scheduled at 18:25 UTC tonight, had a Runway Excursion Incident during landing at Trabzon Airport (13 January 2018), Some 162 passengers, two pilots and four members of the cabin crew on board were evacuated. There are no casualties or injuries”.

The cause of the accident is still unknown. Officials have said the cause can be revealed after technical inspections are completed.

One of the passengers aboard during the accident, Fatma Gördü, said the incident occurred after the plane landed.

“We landed on the track and then taxied a little on the runway. But then there was a huge noise, we started shaking. We got pushed to the side; the plane’s nose was facing down, and the back was facing up.

The passengers panicked a lot,” she said.

18 New Focus | March / April 2018

airlines Turkish Cargo launches Miami flights Turkish Cargo launched cargo flights to Miami, one of the most strategical cargo destinations in the United States and in the world. Turkish Cargo’s Miami cargo flights are to be operated with Boeing 777200F, the cargo aircraft newly acquired the past month.

Turkish Cargo will be connecting Miami to 120 countries through more than 300 destinations with its Istanbul-Madrid-Miami departing flights and Miami-Houston-İstanbul return flights.

Turkish Cargo, which has been transporting 110 tons of belly cargo weekly on Turkish Airlines passenger aircraft to Chicago, Atlanta and New-York; has now reached four destinations in the United States with Miami. The flag cargo carrier will then show a 100 ton capacity increase to the North American market with wide-body freighters to reach 220 tons weekly.

Miami Airport is the largest in the United States and ranked 10th in the international cargo market, stands out for its capacity of handling perishable goods supply chain, which represents 47 percent of the international transit cargo, offering high-end infrastructure.

Miami stands out with its cargo potential of fresh flowers, perishable fruits and vegetables, high technology products, telecommunication equipment and aircraft parts. The region is known for its imports of textile, fish, medicine, flowers, automobile, chemicals, petrochemicals and other perishable goods.

Emirates Resumes Service to Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport Emirates will resume flights between Dubai and Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport, starting 8th June 2018.

The resumption of services on the route will allow customers two destination options when travelling to and from Istanbul.

The flight will be operated five times a week by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER in a three class cabin configuration, with eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. Together with Emirates’ other service to Istanbul Atatürk Airport, the airline will offer 16 flights and over 6500 seats per week, catering to both tourism and business traffic.

The aircraft allows for an increase in cargo capacity to Istanbul, with a weekly total of 100 tonnes and makes Emirates the only airline operating a scheduled service with a wide-body aircraft at Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

Emirates flight EK119 will depart Dubai at 1000hrs and arrive in Istanbul at 1345hrs. The return flight EK120 will leave Istanbul at 1535 hrs, and arrive in Dubai at 2100 hrs. The new timing allows customers from Istanbul to seamlessly connect to Emirates’ flights at Dubai International Airport to popular destinations like Bangkok, Shanghai, Seoul, and cities across Australia.

The flight timing also means travellers from key inbound markets such as China, Korea, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait can enjoy shorter connection times in Dubai when continuing onwards to Istanbul.

Travellers can access Istanbul City with ease from Sabiha Gocken, and from surrounding provinces to the airport. The development of the Osman Gazi Bridge offers residents from north and west provinces a commute time of under an hour to Sabiha Gocken Airport, and those looking to travel to and from Istanbul’s European side can use the scheduled bus service between the Sabiha Gokcen and Taksim Square, an approximate 45 minutes journey.

Customers on Emirates’ flights will enjoy the famed hospitality of its multi-national Cabin Crew, including Turkish crew, as well as gourmet cuisine and Emirates’ award-winning ice entertainment system which offers up to 3000 channels of on demand audio and visual entertainment. As with all Emirates flights, passengers are offered generous baggage allowances of up to 35kg in Economy Class, 40kg in Business Class and 50kg in First class.

20 New Focus | March / April 2018

Air Arabia connects UAE with the Turkish city of Izmir Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) will become the first airline to connect the UAE and the Turkish city of Izmir with a direct flight.

Starting from 27 June 2018, Air Arabia will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays flights, departing Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) at 21:05 hours, and arriving the next day at Izmir’s Adnan Menderes International Airport (ADB) at 00:50 hours local time. The return flight will depart Izmir at 01:30 hours, landing in Sharjah at 06:50 hours local time.

Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia said “Turkey is a country with a true epitome of a cultural crossroad, and holds history that is as tangible and accessible as any of its modern-day attractions. We are immensely pleased to announce Izmir as our fifth destination in Turkey. Air Arabia’s goal will always be to allow passengers the ability to explore new destinations through affordable travel options. This new flight to Izmir is an exciting destination for residents in the UAE and GCC to visit just in time for the summer holidays.”

Home to historic sites such as Ephesus and Pergamon, Izmir sits as a focal point of rich Turkish culture, history, and heritage on the Central Aegean coast of Turkey. Its swarmed bazaars, endless dining options, and an enchanting waterfront promenade cover sufficient grounds to earn it an accolade as Turkey's city of life.

Air Arabia currently operates flights to over 140 routes across the globe from five hubs located in the Middle East and North Africa.

TAV to operate primeclass lounge at Copenhagen Airport Turkey's TAV Operation Services, which operates lounges at 30 airports in 19 countries, started to operate its 57th lounge at the Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup. Located in Kastrup, Copenhagen Airport became the 30th airport included to the portfolio of "primeclass", the brand of TAV Operation Services that offers solutions for those who seek comfort while traveling.

Accordingly, the number of lounges operated by the company at 30 airports worldwide has reached to 57. TAV Operation Services will be operating the Primeclass Lounge for a period of 10 years. Providing service to 29 million passengers in 2016, Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup is the main international airport serving Denmark. Copenhagen Airport is the third-busiest airport in Northern Europe, and by far the busiest for international travel in Scandinavia.

Located on the departures floor of non-Schengen area at Terminal 3, Primeclass Lounge covers an area of 165 square meters with a seating capacity of 61 guests. Having a panoramic view of the terminal building, the lounge offers hot and cold dishes of international cuisines besides Danish flavors, and a wide variety alcoholic / non-alcoholic beverages.

The Primeclass Lounge provides various services such as free Wi-Fi, televisions and flight screens and welcomes guests between 05:30 AM to 10:30 PM throughout the week. Primeclass Lounge is available to all passengers with an entrance fee of €30.- as well as passengers of contracted airlines and TAV Passport Card members.

Germania to fly from Berlin to 5 new destinations in Turkey In summer 2018, the independent airline Germania is expanding its route network between Berlin and Turkey. Five new Turkish destinations will then be served by the green and white aircraft every week: Dalaman, Samsun, Kayseri, Adana and Gaziantep.

Germania already operates flights from Berlin to attractive tourist destinations in Turkey. Three times a week to Antalya, and twice weekly to Bodrum. Next summer, Germania is going to increase its services from Berlin-Schönefeld and Berlin-Tegel and will offer a total of ten flights a week to Turkey.

The new Turkish destinations are definitely worth a visit. Dalaman on the Mediterranean coast and Samsun, the biggest city on the Black Sea, are ideal spots for sun-seekers. Kayseri in central Cappadocia on the other hand has gained a reputation beyond Turkey's borders as a rewarding winter sport destination.

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EXHIBITION - BIT

Bit Milan was more popular and better than last year BIT International Tourism Exchange 2018 organized with 46 thousand visitors, 2,550 representatives accredited by the Italian and global media, including 500 travel bloggers and 1,500 top Italian and international profiled buyers from 79 different countries, with particularly large delegations from Central and South America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Russia and the USA. Turkey also had a stand with Turkish hotels, tour operators, destinations.

“With more than 34,100 booked meetings and almost 15 thousand meetings all done and dusted and business matching has cemented its status as one of our top strengths” - says Fabrizio Curci, CEO of Fiera Milano Spa. “The conversion rate that has increased to 43% (from 29% in 2017), underlines our ability to organise an increasingly targeted match between supply and demand. Bit has once again proven to be a leading platform for the building of relationships for Italian operators, as well as a point of reference for the entire Euro-Mediterranean area”.

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EXHIBITION - EMITT

The 22nd edition of EMITT-Istanbul EMITT 2018, the fifth-largest travel show in the world surpassed itself in January with an outstanding 22nd edition, boosting its profile on the travel industry.

The event started on a high, with the opening ceremony’s high-profile speakers attracting a large crowd. An impressive 54,364 visitors descended on the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center, 15% more than the 2017 event. The show was open to tourists and holidaymakers on the final two days, where they were able to get a feel for the destinations themselves, sample food and enjoy performances of national dances and music.

After a busy four days of meetings, contacts, and business, the travel industry is set for another year of healthy tourism results.

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Gaziantep

The city of Heroes

cover story

A

intab, the former name of Gaziantep is one of the modern provinces of South-Eastern Anatolian Region and also one of the oldest of Hittite origin. Gaziantep has been the home of various civilizations throughout the history because of its geographical location. The city is between Mesopotamia and Mediterranean lands, it has been housed since the pre-historic ages, the historical Silk Road passes through the city, and it is at the intersection point of the roads. All these reasons have made the city popular in commercial, cultural and artistic fields so far.

The famous American researcher George Thomas Kurlan counts the cities from past to our day under the title of ‘Age of Cities’ in this order.

1. Gaziantep-Turkey 5600 years, 4. Zürich-Switzerland 5000 years, 2. Jerusalem-Israel 5000 years, 5. Konya-Turkey 4600 years 3. Kirkuk-Iraq 5000 years, Its history dates back B.C 4000 and it is located between Mesopotamia and Mediterranean, on the Silk Road.

Because of being on ancient connection roads made a lot of civilizations cover this city. These trade roads are connected with Urfa, Kalkamis, Duluk, Islahiye, Kilis, and Halep. Lippert pointed out all those roads at the Anatolian Map he drew.

Before the Arabs conquered the town in AD 638, the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Romans and the Byzantines all left their imprints on the region. Proceeding

28 New Focus | March / April 2018

from the east, the Seljuk Turks strolled into the picture around 1070. Gaziantep remained a city of Seljuk culture, ruled by petty Turkish lords until the coming of the Ottomans under Selim the Grim in 1516.

During the Ottoman period, Gaziantep had a sizable Christian population, especially Armenians. You’ll see Armenian churches, community buildings and mansions scattered throughout the city’s historical core.

In 1920, as the victorious allies sought to carve up the Ottoman territories, Gaziantep was besieged by French forces intent on adding Turkish lands to their holdings in Syria and Lebanon. Gaziantep’s fierce nationalist defenders surrendered on 8 February 1921. The epithet Gazi (War Hero) was added to Antep in 1973 to pay homage to the tenacious defense of the defenders.

“Neither speaking nor writing is enough to tell about this city”.

Here is the apple of the eye of the world with its eye-catching big buildings, popular goods, lots of fields, plentiness and productiveness, endless food and drink sources and rivers.”

Evliya Çelebi

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cover story

The War of Independence in Antep, which began on 1 April 1920, lasted 10 months and 9 days and was forced to an end by hunger. The heroic people of the city earned the admiration of the whole world, both friends, and enemies.

The people of Gaziantep made history with their heroic struggle against occupying forces, but 6,317 of them paid the ultimate price, led by Şahinbey, and gave their lives for their country.

This is why they were honored with the following tribute from Atatürk, “Every Turkish city, every town and even the smallest Turkish village can accept the people of Gaziantep as heroes.”

Gaziantep is a tourism center with its cultural, natural, Geographical beauties.

Districts: Gaziantep(center), Araban, Islahiye, Karkamis, Nizip, Oguzeli, Nurdagi, Sahinbey, Sehit Kamil, Yavuzeli

30 New Focus | March / April 2018

What to see Zeugma Mosaic Museum: It is in the town of Gaziantep, Turkey, is the biggest mosaic museum in the world, containing 1700m2 of mosaics. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum collection includes 2.448 m² of mosaics from the Roman and Late Antique period, 140 m² of frescoes, 4 Roman fountains, 20 columns, 4 limestone statues, a bronze Mars statue, tomb stelae, sarcophagi, and architectural fragments, all restored to a condition ready for exhibition.

Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology: Located on İstasyon Caddesi (Station Road), the museum is home to a large and varied collection of exhibits, some purchased and some obtained from archaeological excavations.

Gaziantep Atatürk Remembrance Museum: Located in the historical Bey District consists of two buildings with shared courtyard, the first section housing a replica of the room in which Atatürk stayed on his visit, and some of his original personal belongings. The second building contains the Atatürk Research Library and the Oral History Research Room in which the events of the Defence of Antep are related. The story of the heroes of the Defence is told through film, and also on display are articles used by the people of the period.

Hasan Suzer Ethnography Museum: The museum simulates the old style of life by decorating its rooms with traditional furniture and by using models. The museum also includes various weapons, documents, instruments used in the defense of the city as well as the photographs of local resistance heroes.

Bayazhan Gaziantep City Museum: Bayazhan, which was built by the tobacco merchant Bayaz Ahmet Efendi in 1909, focuses on the history, tourist places, natural beauties, economy, handcrafts, and the cuisine of Gaziantep, will enable its visitors to live and experience Gaziantep’s culture. For the sister cities of Gaziantep, there are also galleries, an exhibition hall, a restaurant serving traditional food, a café, and handcrafts shops in the inn which was renovated into a cultural center.

Emine Göğüş Culinary Museum: The Emine Göğüş Culinary Museum, built with the goal of presenting Gaziantep Cuisine, both describes the cuisine of earlier periods and exhibits various kitchen equipments in special display windows. This museum illustrates, with traditionally dressed mannequins, how to cook and prepare ‘Yuvalama’ a traditional bayram food-, mıra -a traditional coffee- and bastık and sucuk (a traditional kind of sweet eaten around a traditional stove called “Tandır” on cold winter nights), and similar local specialities.

Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panorama: The gallery, which has dungeons in the Gaziantep Castle has been restored and converted in to Gaziantep Defence and Heroism Panorama Museum by The Metropolitan Municipality. The resistance story of Antep’s people against the enemy occupation is told with boards, statues of heroes and reliefs in the museum, which start at the entrance of the castle and continue to the gallery section. The approximately 2000 figures, the museum illustrates the resistance struggle of Antep’s people against the French and English occupation, the battlefields, the heroes fighting in these battlefields, the attacks, as well as the actions and the difficulties people faced.

Gaziantep Game and Toy Museum: Founded by the Gaziantep City Council, the museum is the 4th toy museum opened in Turkey. The municipality restored a 3 storey building in Bey District, one of the oldest districts in the city, and established the Game and Toy Museum in this historical venue. The museum also encompasses the two cave levels below the building. On display here are about 600 handmade toys dating from 1700 – 1990, as well as many others, including toys based on cartoon characters and doll houses.

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Yesemek Open Air Museum: It is near Islahiye District, in the village known by the same name. It is the largest open air sculpture workshop in the Near East. It is a sculpturing school, reflecting all stages from the extraction of stones from the quarry to preliminary carving and to the final work. Investigations in the area reveal that the site was functional around 1375-1335 BC when the area was taken by the Hittites and the Hittite King Suppilulluma started to employ Hurris, the native people of the area in quarries. The Yesemek Tumulus is located 2 kilometres to the west of the village. It is believed that it was a settlement inhabited by masters working here during the late Bronze Age and the time of the Romans.

Belkis/Zeugma Ruins: This ancient city is by the river Firat, in the borders of village Belkis ,in district Nizip. It is founded at about a 20 thousands of land measure area. It had been always an important point during the history . It was one of the biggest city of its period with its population of 80 thousands. A temple of fate god Thyke was constructed on the acropolis, at the city.

This temple is still underground. The ancient city minted its own coins. There was the pattern of Thyke Temple at the one side of the coins and Rome Eagle pattern at the other side.

Duluk: this ancient city is on the historical Silk Road. Stone tools which proves the human settlement during the 6000 s B.C, at the cave Sarkli. The city was mentioned as Doliche in the history and it was the regional centre of Tesup that is the main god of Hittites. There are a lot of rock graves and churches around.

Karkamis Ruins: It is determined that Karkamis ruins are settlement centre of Neolithic period. Epic Gilghamis is depicted at the outposts of the city, during the late Hittitie period. The remains of this region are exhibited at the Ankara Anatolian Civilizations Museum.

Inns: There are a lot of inns and caravanserais at the Gaziantep which is on the Sik Road. Tuz Inn, Sire Inn, Hisva Inn, Mecidiye Inn, Emir Ali Inn, Kurkcu Inn, Belediye Inn, Elbeyli Inn, Yeni Inn, Haci Omer Inn and Millet Inn are the most important ones.

Gaziantep Castle: It is one of the most beautiful castle of Turkey whic still stands. There isn't a certain information about the founders and foundation date of the castle. It is thought that it had been an observation tower of Rome Period and in the course of the time it was enlarged . There are hammam ruins, cisterns and structure ruins at the castle.

Rum Castle: Its formar name was Hromgle. Syrians called this city Kala-Rhomata. It was conquered by Memluks at the ends of XII century and named as "Kal-at el Muslimin".After Mercidabik War the city was taken by Ottomans. There are still some structure ruins of Turk-Islam period.

Traditional Antep Architecture and Houses: The city has a deep-seated and rich architecture in the course of histroy. There are residents, mosques, inns and hammam. The climate, plant cover, topography and social life of the region effected the construction of those kagir structures. Because of the hot summers the houses has courtsyards where people spend most of their time in summer. The Antep houses are abstracted from the outer places by high walls. They are generally two-storeyed and has a salient part which looks to the street at the second floor.

Seyh Fethullah Mosque and Kulliye: It is the most important historical structure in Gaziantep. It contains a mosque, a dervish lodge, hammam and medrese. Today the medrese doesn't exist. It has an important place in the Turk-Islam architecture with its vault. There is a hand-written Koran which was written by Seyh Fethullah inside the mosque.

Bovaci Mosque: It is the oldest mosque of Gaziantep and it was constructed by Boyaci Yusuf and Kadi Kemalettin, in 1357.The mosque belongs to the period of Turkish Memluks. It has rich marble and tile adornments. The wooden minber is decorated with star, palmet, rosette and geometrical patterns.

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Omeriye Mosque: It is located in the Dugmeci quarter of Gaziantep. Its constructor isn't known. There are beautiful samples of stone workmanship at the minaret.

Ahmet Celebi Mosque: It is in Ulucanlar quarter. The founder of the mosque is Haci Osmanoglu Seyh Ramazan Efendi who is in the ancestry of the Prophet. It is kulliye which includes a medrese, mosque and a kastel. According to its inscription it was constructed in 1672.Its wooden adornments attract attention.

Yusa Prophet Tomb: Prophet Yusa is nephew of Hz. Musa. He rescued Israil from being nomad he settled them to Arz-i Kenan. There are two tombs at the two rooms of a building in the region Pir Sefa. One of them belongs to prophet Yuse, other Pir Sefa.

Pir Sefa Hazretleri Tomb: Pir Sefa and Prophet Yusa are buried at the same place.Rumour has it that Pir Sefa was from Medine and he died during the conquest of Gaziantep by Muslims. So he was buried here.

Okkesive Hazretleri Tomb: This tomb is located at a hill which is at the southeast of Nurdagi. It is 17 km. from Gozluhoyuk. Rumour has it that Okkesiye Hazretleri was one of the five sahabis who died during the conquest of Gaziantep and its around.

Sport Activities Camp-Caravan: There are camp possibilities at the forests Dulukbaba which is covered with cedar trees.

Hunting: It is possible to hunt partridge, wild duck and wild goose around the river Firat.

Trekking with Horses: It is done around Rum Catle, river Firat, stream Merziman, Sofdagi and plateaus Hizir. Beside there are tracks where spor activities with horses are possible, at the forests Burc.

Trekking: Plateau Hizir, Sof Mountain Plateau, Rumkale, side of river Firat, forests Duluk and forests Burc.

Fishing: Sahinbey Burc pond, Tahtakopru dam lake, Hancagiz Dam lake, Alleben pond and river Firat are the areas where fishing is possible.

What to Eat Gaziantep is famous for its three regional specialties: 1) The copper-ware products. 2) The delicious lahmacun (a kind of pizza in Turkish Cuisine) . 3) Sweet pastry baklava, which Gaziantep makes the best in the world.

The Gaziantep kitchen has a special influence on the Turkish cuisine with its immensely rich flavor. In addition to dishes which date back to the Oguz Turks, there is the influence of Aleppo. Its rich kind of soups, rice meals, kebabs, meatballs, etc. are among the most favorite. Local desserts include baklava, kunefe, burmali kadayif, sari burma, mashed pistachio and milk fat.

How to go Gaziantep is an important passageway point with motorway, airline and railway opportunities. There are several daily flights to Gaziantep with many airlines. The Gaziantep International Airport is 20 km. from the city centre.

34  New Focus | March / April 2018

AKUETS SAV

LIVES

Text AKUT to 2930, donate 10TL and save a life yourself.

AKUT yaz 2930’a gönder, 10TL bağış yap, bir can da sen kurtar!

akut.org.tr twitter.com/AKUT_Dernegi

facebook.com/AKUT

instagram.com/AKUT_Dernegi

youtube.com/akut

akut.web.tr

destinasyon

Ayutthaya

36  New Focus | March / April 2018

Bir “Dünya Mirası” destinasyonu

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destinasyon

Bu kez sonbaharın son günlerinde tekrar Ayutthaya’ya gittik. Bangkok’a 1-1.5 saat arasındaki kara yolculuğu ile Tayland’ın 400 yıllık tarihi başkenti Ayutthaya’ya ulaşılabiliyor. Şehir,antik Ayutthaya krallığının başkentliğini yapmış. Ayutthaya görülmesi gerekli, Bangkok’a çok yakın bir destinasyon. Şehir Chao Phraya, Lopburi ve Pa Sak adında üç nehir etrafında yerleşik bir ada şeklinde. 1351 yılında Kral U-tanga tarafından kurulan Ayuthaya kutsal bir şehir. 1991 yılında UNESCO Dünya Mirası Listesine dahil edilen şehir 2020 yılı expo’su için de aday şehirlerden biri.

Bir şehir ki , adeta tapınaklar şehri . Budist tapınağı olan Wat sayısı Ayutthaya da tam 504 adet. Tamamını da gezmek mümkün ama vaktiniz varsa !

38 New Focus | March / April 2018

800 bine yaklaşan nüfusu ile Ayutthaya’da konaklama sorunu yok. Her bütçeye göre tesis bulabilirsiniz.

Konakladığımız 5 yıldızlı Classic Kameo Hotel’in yanısıra dört yıldızlı Sala Ayutthaya ve Krungsri River Hotel’de uygun fiyatlarda kalabilirsiniz.

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destinasyon

Şehirde yüzlerce Wat adındaki kutsal tapınak mevcut. Bir şehir ki, adeta tapınaklar şehri. Budist tapınağı olan Wat sayısı Ayutthaya’da tam 504 adet.Tamamını da gezmek mümkün ama vaktiniz varsa.

Bunlardan Wat Mahathat, Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon, Wat Lokayasutharam, Wat Thammikarat, Wat Maheyong, Wat Borom Puttharam, Wat Chaiwatthanaram, Wat Phraya Man, Wat Phra Ngam, Wat Phanom Yong, Wat Worrachettharam, Wat Samana Kottharam, Wat Tha Ka Rong, Wat Chang, Wat Suwan Dararam Ratchaworawihan, Wat Kasatrathirat Worawihan, Wat Kudidao, Wat Naphrameru, Wat Phu Khao Thong, Wat Ratchaburana, Wat Panan Choeng, Wat Phra Sri Sanphet, Wat Kudidao... görülmeye değer tapınaklar. Phra Mongkhon Bophit Tapınağı’nda yer alan 9.55 metre genişliğinde ve 12.45 metre yüksekliğindeki bronz Buda heykeli Tayland’daki büyük Buda heykellerinden biri. 1448-1602 arasında erken Ayutthaya dönemde inşa edilmiş olduğu ifade ediliyor. Kentin tapınak ve diğer birçok dinsel heykellerinin çoğu tahrip edilmiş olsa da restore edilen kalıntılar hala ayakta ve gezilebiliyor.

40 New Focus | March / April 2018

Tarihi şehirde, taş oymacılığın en güzel örneklerini görmek mümkün. Şehri çevreleyen ırmaklarda ünlü yüzen pazarlarda çeşitli hediyelik ve turistik eşyalar ile şehrin seramik, müzik aletleri yapımı ile gelişmiş el sanatları üretimlerinden eserler bulunuyor. Sakin ve mistik bir atmosferi olan Ayutthaya, Bangkok’un kalabalığından uzaklaşmak isteyenler için de bir kaçış yeri. Tayland’ın eski kültürü en iyi şekilde temsil eden yerlerden biri olan Ayutthaya Tarihi Parkı’nı her yıl 4 milyondan fazla kişi ziyaret ediyor.

&

Nehirler ve kolları üzerindeki antik köprülerden geçip çeşitli ürünler satan otantik pazarcıların arasında yürüyerek antik anıtları izlemek de mümkün. Tavsiye edeceğimiz yüzen marketler şöyle; Wat Tha Ka Rong Floating Market, Ayothaya Floating Market & Elephant Village, Klong Sra Bua Weekend Floating Market Water Theatre. Ayrıca Sian Chang Market ve Ayodia Intermarket gezilmesi gerekli alışveriş mekanları arasında. Ve elbette Güney Asya’nın olmazsa olmazı gece pazarı’da Ayutthaya’lılara hem alışveriş hem de çocuk eğlenceleri için vazgeilmez bir gece eğlencesi sunar. Günümüz AVM’leri için ise önerimiz Ayutthaya City Park & Tesco Lotus.

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destinasyon

Tarihi şehirde içersi çıplak ayakla gezilebilen Chao Sam Phraya Müzesi mutlaka görülüp gezilmeli. Boat Müzesi de üç nehre kıyısı olan Ayutthaya’nın tarih içersinde ulaşım aracı olarak kullandıkları teknelerin sergilendiği bir müze olarak ilgi çekici. Phra Mongkhon Bophit tapınağı yakınlarında yaptığımız fil safarisi de yapılmalı.

42 New Focus | March / April 2018

Yöresel yemeklerin sunulduğu yüzen restoranlarda öğlen yemeğinizi yiyebilirsiniz. Şehirde her keseye uygun yeme & içme mekanları binlerce. Ancak önereceğimiz iki restoran Sala Ayutthaya ve De Riva Ayothaya. Chao Phraya nehri kıyısında yer alan bu iki restoranda uygun fiyatlar ile deniz ürünleri dahil tüm menüden tadabilirsiniz.

Kısaca tarih meraklıysanız şimdiki başkent Bangkok’dan tarihi başkent Ayutthaya’yı görmenizi öneririz.

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ACENTA

Prontotour zorlu 2017’de %22 büyüdü Yurtdışı turlarda sektör lideri Prontotour, Gaziantep’te gerçekleştirdiği Acenteler Toplantısı ile 2017 yılı değerlendirmesi yapıp, büyüme rakamlarını ve 2018 hedeflerini açıkladı. Yurtdışı turlarda sektör lideri olan Prontotour geleneksel Acenteler Buluşması’nı bu yıl Gaziantep’de gerçekleştirdi. Acenteler ve basınla bir araya gelen Prontotour Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Ali Onaran, 2017 yılını değerlendirdiği toplantıda markanın yeni yıldaki hedeflerini de açıkladı.

2017 yılının bir önceki yıla göre turizm hareketleri açısından daha verimli olduğunu belirten Prontotour Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Ali Onaran, “Prontotour açısından başarılı bir yılı geride bıraktık. 2017 yılını ciroda %22 büyüme ile tamamladık. Yılın başında belirlediğimiz hedeflere ulaşmanın haklı gururunu yaşıyoruz. Bu yolda birlikte yürüdüğümüz değerli acentelerimiz, ekip arkadaşlarım ve partnerlerimize çok teşekkür ediyorum. Hep birlikte markamızın gücü ve tecrübemizle Prontotour’un adını daha da yukarılara taşıyacağımıza inanıyorum. Biz birlikte güçlüyüz” dedi.

Her yıl tur programlarının içeriklerini genişletip yeni rotaları eklediklerini, seyahat ihtiyaçlarına göre yeni ürünler geliştirdiklerini söyleyen Onaran, “2017’de seyahatseverler, klasik rotalarımız olan İtalya, İspanya, Orta Avrupa, Benelüks ve Balkanlar dışında Dubai, Fas, Amerika, İngiltere, İskandinavya, Baltıklar ve Uzak Doğu destinasyonlarına yoğun ilgi gösterdi. Yurtdışı turlarımızda kişi sayısında %12, ciro bazında %25 artış yakaladık” şeklinde konuştu.

Gemi ve nehir turlarına 2017 yılında da yoğun ilgi olduğunu dile getiren Onaran, “Norveç Fiyortları, Batı Akdeniz, İskandinavya ve Güney Amerika" gibi destinasyonlara düzenlediğimiz gemi turlarımız seyahat severlerden talep gördü. Ayrıca Ren Nehri, Volga-Volga, Tuna Nehri gibi turlarımızı tercih edenlerin sayısının yüksek olduğunu belirtmeliyim. 2017 yılında gemi turlarında ciroda da %15 artış yakaladık” ifadelerini kullandı.

Yurtiçi ve Kıbrıs turlarında da büyüme sağladıklarını belirten Onaran, “Yurtiçi kültür turlarımız içinde

44 New Focus | March / April 2018

Kapadokya, Eskişehir, Karadeniz, Kars ve Ege turları yine gözde rotalar oldu. Festival odaklı dönemsel turların da yoğun şekilde tercih edildiğini söyleyebilirim. Cirosal anlamda; kültür turlarında %65, Kıbrıs’ta %45 ve yurtiçi pazarda %40 artış yakaladık” dedi.

Prontotour’un ayrıcalıklı seyahat deneyimleri sunan ProntoPlus markasının her geçen gün daha çok tercih edildiğinin altını çizen Ali Onaran, “2017 yılında da ProntoPlus büyümesini sürdürdü ve %45 artış yakaladı. Ayrıcalıklı keşifler dünyasının bu özel turları ilgi görmeye devam ediyor” dedi. ProntoPlus turları arasında Toscana Vadisi, Laponya, Sakura Zamanında Japonya, Büyük Göç Zamanında Tanzanya-Zanzibar, Hindiçin Rüyası, Ateş ve Buzun Ülkesi İzlanda, Zamanın Durduğu Ülke Myanmar, Maya ve İnka Kültürlerinin İzinde Bolivya gibi turlar yer alıyor. Şehir Kaçamakları ile keyifli ve kısa süreli yurtdışı turları düzenlediklerini, özellikle hafta sonu küçük keşifler planlayanlar için ideal bir ürüne dönüştüğünü belirten Onaran, bu yıl rekor bir artış yakaladıklarını söyledi. Bu özel üründe otel ve uçak imkanı sunduklarının vurgulayan Onaran, “Şehir Kaçamakları turlarımız 2017 yılında seyahat tutkunlarının en çok tercih ettiği ürünümüz oldu. Roma, Barcelona, Marsilya, Viyana, Milano, Atina, Lviv, Malta, Lyon, Bologna, Minsk ve Stokholm gibi şehirlerin yer aldığı turlarımızda %150 gibi rekor bir artış sağladık” dedi.

Eğitim alanında da çeşitli çalışmalar yaptıklarını ifade eden Ali Onaran, bu yıl ProntoAkademi’yi hayata geçirdiklerini, bu kapsamda acentelere özel aylık bülten hazırladıklarını ve çeşitli eğitim seminerleri düzenlemeye başladıklarını ifade etti. Onaran, “Geçtiğimiz yıl ayrıca Okan Üniversitesi Gastronomi Bölümü’nün açtığı “Gastronomi ve Seyahat Yazarlığı” dersine sponsor olduk. Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi ile Türkiye’nin termal, spa ve wellness rehberini hazırlıyoruz. Üniversiteler ile proje yapmaya devam ediyoruz” dedi.

Prontotour’un rakiplerinden ayrıldığı konuların başında rehber kalitesinin geldiğini hatırlatan Onaran şöyle konuştu: “Çok kıymetli rehberler ile çalışıyoruz. Seyahatseverlerin sosyal medya ve sitemizdeki geri dönüşlerinden bunu görebiliyoruz. Blog sayfamızda rehberlerimizin seyahat deneyimlerini paylaştığı özel içeriklere de yer veriyoruz. Yoldasin.com ve ProntoBlog içerik sayfalarımız güncel seyahat trendleri ve turizmin farklı konularında gezginleri bilgilendirmeye devam ediyor. 2017’de seyahatseverlerin bütçelerini koruyan kampanyalar yaptık. Yaptığımız kur sabitleme kampanyaları sayesinde dövizdeki hareketlenmeyi misafirlerimize yansıtmamaya çalıştık. Rakamlara baktığımızda da başarılı olduğumuzu görüyorum. Bu da bizi ayrıca mutlu ediyor.”

Toplantıda ayrıca turizm yazarları, 2017’nin en başarılı Pronto acentaları ve Pronto ailesinde 15 ve 10 yıldır hizmet verenlere plaketler verildi. Son olarak da Pronto’nun yeni reklam yüzü sanatcı Faik Sönmez tanıtıldı. www.smpublication.com 45

bülten Harcamada Avustralyalılar lider TÜİK'ten yapılan açıklamaya göre, Türkiye’ye gelen yabancı ziyaretçiler içinde 2017 yılında en fazla ortalama harcamayı 1.312 dolar ile Avustralyalılar yaptı. Japonların ortalama harcaması 1.008 dolar, Fransızların 839 dolar, Almanların 685 dolar, İngilizlerin 639 dolar, Rusların ise ortalama 458 dolar oldu.

"Gezi, eğlence, sportif ve kültürel faaliyetler amacıyla 2017 yılında ülkemize en çok Rusya, Almanya ve Batı Asya ülkelerinden ziyaretçi geldi. Sağlık amacıyla ülkemize en çok Batı Asya ülkeleri, Azerbaycan ve İran'dan ziyaretçi gelirken, iş (konferans, seminer, görev vb.) amacıyla gelenler ise çoğunlukla Batı Asya ülkeleri, İran ve Almanya'dan oldu.

Yabancı ziyaretçiler 2017 yılında ülkemizde ortalama 9,6 gece kalırken, yurt dışında ikamet eden Türkler ortalama 16,9 geceleme yaptı. Ortalama gecelemelere göre Ruslar 6,5 gece, İngilizler 8,3 gece, Almanlar 10,5 gece ve Avustralyalılar 16,3 gece kaldı. En çok geceleme İstanbul, Antalya, İzmir, Ankara, Muğla ve Bursa illerinde gerçekleşti.

Helal otelde haremlik-selamlık sınırı 6 yaş Helal hizmet verecek oteller için standartları belirleyen bir kitapçık hazırlayan TSE, helal otel belgesi almak isteyenlere yönelik parayla satılan Helal Yönetim Sistemi başlıklı bir kitapçık hazırladı.

Otellerin "helal hizmet" verebilmesi için şartların sıralandığı kitapçıkta tartışma yaratacak bir madde yer aldı. TSE'nin helal hizmet kitapçığında "6 yaşın üzerindeki çocukların da hemcins ayrımına riayet edilmelidir" denildi.

Sözcü'den Ali Ekber Öztürk'ün haberine göre, TSE'ye bağlı Helal Teknik Komitesi'nce hazırlanan kitapçıkta, müzik ve eğlence programlarının da "İslam ahlakına uygun olması" gerektiği ifade edilirken, otele getirilen sanatçıların da"İslam ahlakına uygun kıyafet giymeleri" ve "İslam ahlakına uygun şarkılar söylemeleri" şart koşuldu. Kadınlara kadın, erkeklere de erkek animatörlerin hizmet vermesi talep edildi. Yine kadınların güneşlenirken görünmemeleri için önlemler alınması, pisuvarlarda da mahremiyeti koruyacak önlemler alınması istendi.

Otelin "helal şartlara" uyup uymadığı da kurulacak bir "Helal Yönetim Sistemi ekip lideri" aracılığıyla izlenecek. TSE'nin bu şartlarını taşımayan işletmelere yetki verilmeyecek. Ayrıca, otelde kullanılacak sabun ve şampuanların, "helal kozmetik" ürünleri olması gerektiği belirtildi.

Kriterler şöyle; • Cuma namazı otel mescidinde kılınmıyorsa, camilere ulaşım sağlanmalı.

• Tuvaletler insanın ön veya arkası kıble istikametinde olmayacak şekilde konumlandırılmalı.

• Kadınlar için ayrılmış havuz ve güneşlenme alanlarının etrafı kapalı olmalı ve mekan

• •

dışarıdan görünmemeli.

Mahrem bölgelerde (odalar, duş yeri, havuzlar, vb.) görüntü ve ses kaydı yapılmamalı.

Erkek ve kadınların ayrı bulundukları mahrem mekanlarda hemcins personelin hizmet etmesi sağlanmalı, karşı cinsten personel girişi engellenmelidir.

UNESCO İstanbul’u uyardı UNESCO Dünya Miras Komitesi'nin Polonya'daki 41'nci toplantısından İstanbul için önemli tespit ve kararlar çıktı. Dünya Miras Komitesi, yenileme alanlarının ve inşaatların Dünya Miras Listesindeki Tarihi Yarımada'nın görünümüne, üzerindeki eserlere olumsuz etkisiyle ilgili tespitlere yer verdi.

Aydınlık'tan Mustafa K. Erol'un habeirne göre Tarihi Yarımada'nın inşaatlar açısından büyük çaplı projelerle dikkat çektiğini belirten komite “İnşaatlar, yoğunluklu olarak ‘Olağanüstü Evrensel Değerler' üzerinde yüksek derecede olumsuz etkide bulunuyor. Yenilenen pek çok bölgenin tarihi doku kaybından muzdarip olmayacağına dair verilmiş teminat yok” görüşlerine yer verdi. Avrasya Tüneli'ne iki madde ayıran komite, “Tünelin, Tarihi Yarımadanın güney ucu üzerinde ciddi etkisi var, şehrin denizle bağlantısını kesti” tespitini yaptı.

46 New Focus | March / April 2018

UNESCO, Haliç Metro Projesinden bu yana büyük ölçekli projelerin onaylandıktan sonra komiteye gönderildiğini belirterek bu durumun değişmesini istedi. Dünya Miras Komitesi, Topkapı içindeki İstanbul Kent ve Çanakkale 1915 Müzesi, Kara Surları ve Bukoleon Sarayı, Planetarium, ve İncili Köşk için hazırlanan ihya önerilerini talep etti. Komite ayrıca Ayasofya Medresesi ile Zeyrek ve Kariye Camilerine ait projelerin de Danışma Kurulları tarafından gözden geçirilmesi için istedi.

Dünya Miras Komitesi, Osmanlı ahşap evlerinin durumuna değinerek bu evlerin bozulmaya ve yıkılmaya devam ettiğini belirtti. Osmanlı evleri için ‘endişeliyiz' ifadesini kullanan Komite 2004 yılından bu yana uzun vadeli koruma eylem planı talep ettiklerini ancak yerine gelmediğini hatırlattı. İsteğini yineleyen Komite “Osmanlı geleneksel ahşap yapıları için geriye kalanların belgelenmesini ve devam eden çürüme ve kayıpları önleyen acil durum eylem planı geliştirilmesini istiyoruz” dedi.

UNESCO, Tarihi Yarımada'nın korunma durumuna ilişkin, Dünya Miras Komitesi'nin 42'nci toplantısında değerlendirmek üzere rapor istedi. Raporun 1 Şubat tarihine kadar Dünya Miras Merkezi'ne sunulması tavsiye edilse de yerine gelmedi. 20 Şubat'ta İstanbul Tarihi Alanlar Alan Başkanlığı Danışma Kurulu yapılacak. Toplantıdan sonra oluşturulacak raporun Dünya Miras Merkezi'ne sunulması bekleniyor.

TYD’nin 2018 hedefleri 2018 yılında turizminin seyrini belirleyecek etkinlikler dizisi, Türkiye Turizm Yatırımcıları Derneği'nin gerçekleştirdiği geleneksel değerlendirme ve vizyon yemeği ile başladı. Kalkınma Bakanı Lütfi Elvan ve Almanya Turizm Endüstrisi Birliği Başkanı Michael Frenzel'in ana konuşmacı olduğu buluşmaya, TTYD Başkanı Oya Narin ev sahipliği yaptı.

Yemekte 2017 yılında Türkiye turizminin geldiği nokta ve 2018 hedefleri ele alındı. Kalkınma Bakanı Lütfi Elvan, Türkiye Turizm Yatırımcıları Derneği'nin (TTYD) Yıllık Değerlendirme Toplantısı'nda yaptığı konuşmada, TTYD üyelerinin 30 yılda sektöre 50 milyar dolarlık yatırım yaptığını, 150 binden fazla istihdam sağladığını söyledi.

Geceye ev sahipliği yapan Türkiye Turizm Yatırımcıları Derneği Başkanı Oya Narin ise konuşmasında dünya net hasılasının ve istihdamının toplamda yüzde 10'unu, yatırım harcamalarının da yüzde 5'ini oluşturan turizm sektörü için, küresel konjonktürün birinci derecede önemli olduğunu belirterek, "Eğer 2018-20 dönemindeki dünya büyümesitahminler çerçevesinde gerçekleşecek ise, bu turizm sektörü açısından hem büyümek hem de bir dizi reformu hayata geçirmek için bir fırsata dönüştürülebilir." dedi.

Oya Narin, sözlerine şöyle devam etti "Türkiye, Orta Vadeli Plan hedefi olan yüzde 5,5'lik ortalama büyüme hedefini yakalayacak ve bu büyümeyi enflasyonu kontrol ederek gerçekleştirecek ise yeni yatırımlar şarttır. Turizm sektörümüz bu aşamada kilit role sahip stratejik bir rol oynuyor. Turizm sektörümüz Türkiye ekonomisinde büyümenin ve kalkınmanın temel taşıyıcı kolonudur. Turizm faaliyeti, ekonomimizde hem ileri hem de geriye doğru çok sayıda sektörü besliyor, olağanüstü bir istihdam kapasitesi yaratıyor ortaya çıkardığı yüksek katma değer oranıyla ekonomimize ısınma yaratmadan büyüme sağlayan yegane iktisadi faaliyet alanı niteliği taşıyor.

Turizm sektörümüz 21. yüzyıl turizm trendlerine göre yeniden yapılanma ihtiyacı içindedir. Sayın Cumhurbaşkanımızın kullandığı ifadeyle "Turizmde 3. Yatırım Hamlesi"nin zamanı gelmiştir. 21 yüzyılda seyahat eden kişinin değişen talebini merkeze alan bir yapılanma artık kaçınılmazdır. TTYD olarak bu atılım ihtiyacını "Turizmde Dönüşüm" olarak adlandırıyoruz ve bu yönde tüm sektör paydaşları ile iş birliği içinde bir çalışma gerçekleştirmeyi planlıyoruz. Ülke sathında 12 aya yayılan; markalaşmayı, çeşitliliği ve destinasyon bazlı yönetimi öngören bu dönüşüm, turizmin fiziksel alt yapısının dönüştürülmesini ve artık çok geride kalmış olan turizmin temel yasalarının da tümüyle gözden geçirilmesini, imar planlarında 60-70-80 milyon turisti bize kazandıracak değişikliklerin, tesislerimizi ve destinasyonlarımızı uluslararası rekabet ve konfor düzeylerine getirecek yatırımların yapılmasını, turizmin imalat sanayiinden

www.smpublication.com 47

bülten ayrı tutulmadan ihracatçı kimliğine uygun muamele görmesini, yönetim sistemimizin baştan aşağı yeninden ele alınmasını gerektiriyor. Turizm imalat sanayiinden ayrı tutulmamalı ihracatçı desteklerinden aynı şekilde yararlanmalı. Bu yönde görüş ve politika üretmek sorumluluğu elbette biz turizm sektörü aktörlerinindir; 2018 yılı içinde, ülke örneklerinin de aynı çerçevede incelendiği bir çalışma taslağını tamamlamayı ve hükümetimizle paylaşmayı hedefliyoruz."

Rusya’dan 2018’de 7 bin uçak, 7 milyon koltuk Tur operatörleri, geçen yıl Türkiye ve Antalya'ya en çok turist gönderen Rusya ile Bağımsız Devletler Topluluğu ülkeleri için 2018 yılında 7 bin uçakla 7 milyon koltuk hazırlığı yapıyor. Turizmde Antalya'nın en önemli pazarı Rusya ile 2015'in sonunda görülen uçak krizin ardından 2016'da rakamlar dibe vurdu.

2016 yılının ortalarından itibaren Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ile Rusya lideri Putin'in ikili görüşmeleriyle yeniden düzelen 2 ülke ilişkileri kısa sürede turizm sektöründe kendini hissettirdi ve 2017'de hem Antalya hem Türkiye açısından Rusya pazarı yeni rekorlara imza attı. 2017 yılında Antalya'yı bugüne kadarki en yüksek rakam olan 3.8 milyon Rus turist ziyaret etti. Önümüzdeki günlerde Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı'nca açıklanacak Türkiye'ye gelen toplam turist rakamları içinde de Rus turist sayısının 4.6- 4.7 milyon düzeyinde olması bekleniyor. 2017 yılında Rusya pazarının yanı sıra, Ukrayna, Beyaz Rusya, Kazakistan gibi diğer BDT ülkelerinde de ciddi artışlar kaydedildi. Kötü geçen 2016'nın ardından sektörde büyük moral oluşturan Rusya ve BDT ülkelerindeki yoğun hareketlilik üzerine sektör, 2018 yılında da yeni rekorlara yönelik hazırlık yapıyor. Rusya ve BDT pazarına yönelik 2018 yılı hazırlıklarıyla ilgili bilgi veren Profesyonel Otel Yöneticileri Derneği (POYD) Başkanı Hakan Duran, tur operatörleri ve seyahat acenteleriyle yapılan görüşmelerde 2018 yılında da Türkiye'nin, Rusya pazarı için lider ülke konumunda olduğunu söyledi.

8. Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi Kongre’si Mayıs’da Ülkemizde sağlık turizmini geliştirmeyi vizyon, Sağlık Turizmi alanında araştırmalar yapmayı, kurum ve kuruluşlarla işbirliği yapmayı, ülkemizde Sağlık Turizmini geliştirerek turizme katkıda bulunmayı misyon edinmek için 2005 yılında faaliyete başlayan Türkiye Sağlık Turizm Derneği bu sene sekizinci kez Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi Kongresi düzenliyor.

Türkiye Sağlık Turizm Derneği tarafından her yıl düzenlenmekte olan ve 2015 yılında yedincisi düzenlenen Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi Kongresi’nin bu sene sekizincisi, 3-6 Mayıs 2018 tarihleri arasında Kuşadası-Amara Sealight Elite Hotel’de gerçekleştirilecek.

Türkiye Sağlık Turizmi Derneği, her sene yurt içi ve yurt dışı olmak üzere, kamu ve özel sektör katılımı ile ülkemiz Sağlık Turizmi sektörünün gelişimine katkıda bulunan ve her sene diğer senelerden daha çok katılımcıya ulaşarak, Sağlık Turizmi alanında ulusal ve uluslararası tüm paydaşları bir araya getirerek, Sağlık Turizminde girişimci ve yatırımcılara yeni imkânlar oluşturmak, gelişimini sağlamak, ülkemizdeki tüm sağlık ve termal işletmelerin ulusal ve uluslararası platformda tanıtımını yapmak, ve dünya Sağlık Turizmi destinasyonları sıralamasında ülkemizi öne çıkarmak amacıyla 3-6 Mayıs 2018 de ‘8. Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi Kongre’sini düzenliyor.

Erciyes’te kar voleybolu şampiyonası Büyükşehir Belediyesi’nin yatırımlarıyla dünyanın sayılı kış turizm merkezlerinden birisi olan Erciyes, pek çok branşta önemli şampiyonalara da ev sahipliği yapıyor. Erciyes’te yapılan 2018 CEV Kar Voleybolu Avrupa Turu'nun şampiyonları belli oldu. 2018 CEV Kar Voleybolu Avrupa Turu, 11 ülkeden 38 takımın katılıyla Ocak ayında gerçekleşti. Bayanlar ve erkekler kategorisinden birbirinden çekişmeli müsabakalara sahne olan müsabakalara Türkiye’nin yanı sıra Rusya, Slovakya, Belçika, Çekya, İsviçre, İtalya, Romanya, Letonya, Polonya ve Sırbistan’dan takımlar katıldı. Şampiyonayı, CEV Avrupa Voleybol Konfederasyonu Teknik Delegesi Anton Fitchenger, Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu Başkanvekili Alper Sedat Aslandaş, Erciyes A.Ş. Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Dr. Murat Cahid

48 New Focus | March / April 2018

Cıngı ve Kayseri Gençlik ve Spor Hizmetleri İl Müdürü Murat Eskici de takip etti. Müsabakalar sonrası bayanlarda şampiyonluğu Aleyna Vence ve Buğra Eryıldız’dan oluşan Türk takımı kazandı. Bayanlarda ikinciliği Rusya’dan Ekaterina Syrtseva ve Ksenia Khakimzanova, üçüncülüğü ise Slovakya’dan Anna Dostalova ve Michaela Knoblochova elde etti. Erkeklerde ise Taras Myskiv ve Ruslan Daianov’dan oluşan Rusya takımı birinci, Dündar Yıldırım ve Emirhan Ulutaş’tan oluşan Türk takımı ikinci, Valeriy Durnin ve Ivan Golovin’den oluşan Rusya’nın ikinci takımı ise üçüncü oldu. Müsabakalar sonrası derece alan takımlara kupaları, madalyaları ve hediyeleri verildi.

Yalnız 6 ilimizin havası temiz !

Türkiye’de geçtiğimiz yılın hava kirliliği raporu belli oldu. Türkiye’de yer alan 81 ilden sadece 6’sının havasının temiz olduğu belirtildi. Havası en temiz iller; Artvin, Bitlis, Eskişehir, Yozgat, Kırşehir ve Kırıkkale olurken havası en kirli iller; İstanbul, Ankara, Adana, Amasya ve Manisa oldu.

Medya takibinin öncü kurumu Ajans Press, Türkiye’nin hava kirliliği raporunu inceledi. Ajans Press’in TMMOB Çevre Mühendisleri Odası ve medyada yer alan haberlerden elde ettiği bilgilere göre, Türkiye’de sadece 6 ilin partikül madde ve kükürdioksit açısından uygun standartlarda olduğu belirlendi. Hava kirliliği özellikle büyük kentlerde insan sağlığı açısından büyük bir tehdit oluşturuyor. Partikül maddelerin solunum enfeksiyonu ve kansere yol açtığı belirlenirken; hava kirliliği sebebiyle, erken bebek ölümleri, sakat doğumlar ve kitlesel ölümler yaşanıyor.

PM10 parametresine göre havası en kirli illerimiz sırasıyla, İstanbul, Ankara, Adana, Amasya, Manisa, Bursa, Denizli, Niğde, Tekirdağ, Hatay, Yalova, Sivas, Kahramanmaraş, Kütahya, Sakarya, Kırklareli, İçel ve Samsun oldu. İstanbul’un havası en kirli bölgeleri arasında Esenyurt başı çekerken, Şirinevler, Aksaray, Göztepe ve Başakşehir kirli havayı en çok soluyan diğer bölgeler oldu. Başkent Ankara’nın havası en kirli bölgesi ise Sıhhiye oldu ITS Medya ve Ajans Press’in medyada gerçekleştirdiği incelemeye göre, Türkiye’de geçtiğimiz yıl hava kirliliğini konu alan 13 bin haber medyaya yansırken, bu rakam 2016 yılında 10 bin 550 haberde kaldı.

Haber adetlerinde yaşanan artış, medyanın bu konuya önem verdiğinin bir göstergesi sayıldı. Medyaya yansıya başlıklarda, hava kirliliğinin en çok hastalıklarla ilişkilendirilip haber olduğu belirlendi. Hava kirliliğine bağlı olarak; astım, kalp sorunları, bronşit, damar sertliği, amfizem ve nörolojik problemler dünya genelinde insanları en çok etkileyen rahatsızlıklar olarak kayıtlara geçti. Dünyada her yıl hava kirliliğine bağlı olarak 7 milyondan fazla insanın yaşamını kaybettiği belirlenirken, Türkiye’de hava kirliliği kaynaklı ölümlerin, trafik kazalarının sebep olduğu ölümlerden iki kat fazla olduğu saptandı.

İstanbul Modern geçici yerine taşınıyor İstanbul Modern, Salıpazarı projesi nedeniyle 18 Mart’dan itibaren yeni müze binası yapılana dek, geçici olarak Beyoğlu’nda hizmet verecek. Konuyla ilgili olarak İstanbul Modern yönetimi bir duyuru yayınlayadı. “ Ülkemizin kültürel kimliğini uluslararası sanat ortamıyla paylaşan, modern ve çağdaş sanat alanındaki üretimleri koleksiyonunda toplayan ve sergileyen müzemiz, sizlerin varlığıyla her kesimden izleyiciyle buluşmaya, yüz binlerce çocuk ve gence sanat eğitimi vermeye devam ediyor. Bizimle olduğunuz ve destekleriniz için çok teşekkür ederiz.

Zaman zaman sizlerle paylaştığımız üzere, Türkiye’nin ilk modern ve çağdaş sanat müzesi İstanbul Modern önemli bir dönüşümün eşiğinde. 18 Mart 2018 itibariyle 14 yıldır müzemize ev sahipliği yapan ve 7 milyonun üzerinde ziyaretçiyi ağırladığımız 4 numaralı Antrepo’dan yeni müze binamızın inşaatı nedeniyle, bir süreliğine ayrılıyoruz. İstanbul Modern, yakın gelecekte tamamlanması planlanan yeni müze binasına kavuşana kadar, Beyoğlu’ndaki geçici mekânında tüm mevcut faaliyetlerini kaldığı yerden, aynı coşkuyla sürdürecek.”

Booking.com’da çözüme doğru Ekonomi Bakanı Nihat Zeybekci, haksız rekabete yol açtığı gerekçesiyle Türkiye’deki kullanıcıların erişimine engellenen rezervasyon portalı ‘Booking.com’un Türkiye faaliyetlerine bu yıl devam edebileceğini belirtti.

Bloomberg’e konuşan Zeybekci, “Çözüme doğru gidiyoruz. Bu sezon herhalde öyle bir şey olacak, çalışmaya başlayacaklar” dedi.

www.smpublication.com 49

İlkay Bener abimizi de kaybettik Yarım asırı aşkın bir süre turizm içinde olan İlkay Bener abimizi de kaybettik.

Yıllarca yayınlarımızın dış ilişkiler danışmanlığını da yapan İlkay abimiz, uzun yıllar JAL Japon Havayolları Türkiye temsilciliğini de üstlenmişti.

Türkiye Skal kulüplerinin de sevilen ismi olan İlkay Bener’in cenazesi 24 Ocak günü öğlen namazının ardından Teşvikiye Camiinden kaldırılarak toprağa verildi.

S&M yayıncılık olarak kendisine Allah’tan rahmet, ailesi ve sektörümüze başsağlığı diliyoruz.

KISA KISA Yönetciler Havayolları »» Erhan Erden Ramada Plaza Istanbul City »» Atatürk Havalimanı›nın yeni uçuş kodu ISL, Center Operasyon müdürü oldu. olurken IST kodu da İstanbul yeni havalimanı›na verildi. »» Uğur Gültekin Elexus Hotel & Resort & Spa ‘nın satış müdürlüğüne atandı. »» Dünyanın en güçlü uçağı olarak gösterilen Airbus A350-1000, Katar Hava Yolları filosuna »» Barış Atik Hilton istanbul Bakırköy’ün yeni katıldı. satış müdürü oldu. »» SunExpress 2018 yazında tarifeli olarak »» Pelin Ulusoy Hilton Istanbul Maslak İş Avrupa’dan Antalya’ya 3 milyondan fazla koltuk Geliştirme Direktörlüğüne getirildi. arz ediyor. »» Eray Doğan Ankara Carlson Rezidor Hotel »» Çeşme Alaçatı Havalimanı ihalesi 20 Nisan›da Group’a satış direktörü olaraka atandı. yapılacak. »» Zübeyde Ezberci, Figür Turizm MİCE & P.C.O »» Atlasglobal Rusya ve Kazakistan’dan Antalya ve ‘nun Pazarlama Direktörü oldu.

Dalaman’a 22 ayrı şehirden uçacak. »» Ela Ergin, The Ritz-Carlton, İstanbul’un Satış »» Emirates Skywards, sadakat ödülleri 2018›de, ve Pazarlamadan Sorumlu Genel Müdür ‹Yönetimde Mükemmeliyet›ödülünü aldı.

Yardımcısı oldu. »» Qatar Havayolları 4 Nisan›dan itibaren Hatay »» Atilla Boncuklu New Century Hotel Frankfurt Havalimanı›na direkt uçuş seferleri başlatıyor.

Offenbach satış direktörlüğüne atandı. »» EdelweissAir 1 Nisan’dan itibaren İsviçre’nin »» Elif Candaş Emiroğlu Doğuş Turizmin otel Basel ve Zürih kentlerinden Bodrum’a direkt uçuş grubu Mytha Hotel Anthology’nin bölge yapacak. pazarlama müdürü oldu. »» THY ve Air Moldova arasında ortak uçuş »» Ceren Can Akdoğan Corendon Hotels & anlaşması imzalandı.

Resorts’un yeni satış ve pazarlama müdürü. »» Corendon Airlines, Gazipaşa havalimanı’na ek »» Fairmont Quasar Istanbul’da, Genel Müdür seferler düzenliyor.

Yardımcılığı görevine Can Özmeriç getirildi. »» Alanya Alantur Otel, Alman şirket Meeting Point tarafından kiralandı.

Tesisler »» Fenerbahçe-Kalamış Yat Limanı özelleştirme Acentalar »» Neon Tour Zincirlikuyu, Kore Sehitleri Cad. ihalesinde son teklif tarihi 15 Şubat’tan, 27 Nisan’a Istanbloom Residence 6/1 K.7-No: 55 ‘e taşındı. uzatıldı. »» Bentour 2018 Kaydırak Katalogu çıkararak »» Küçük otellerin 2018 hedefi, 5 milyon turist, 3 Türkiye’deki 21 tesis ve toplam 345 Kaydırak ile milyar dolar turizm geliri. aile turizmine katkı getiriyor. »» Konya Selçuklu’daki otel arazisi 10 milyon lira »» Prontotour Pazarlamadan Sorumlu Genel muhammen bedelle ihaleye çıkarıldı.

Müdür Yardımcısı Gürkan Erol, 2018’de yurtdışına »» Bodrum Hapimag Sea Garden ile Palandöken çıkan Türk ziyaretçi sayısının 10 milyonu Sway Otel arasında insan kaynakları değişim geçeceğini belirtti. programı başlatıldı. » Özbekistan, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti »» Yalova Ramada Oteli 25 milyon TL’lik yatırımla »vatandaşlarına 30 güne kadar vizesiz giriş verdi. faaliyete geçti.

New Focus Mayıs / Haziran 2018 | Haber ve Reklamlarınız için son gün 27 Nisan 2018

Mart 1-4 UTAZAS - Budapest 7-11 ITB - Berlin 10-12 ITM - Moscow 13-15 MITT - Moscow 15-18 Salon Mundial - Paris 16-18 MATTA - KL 20-22 IT&CM - Shanghai

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New Focus Türkiye Tourism Bi-Monthly Magazine has been prepared by S&M Publication Ltd. All copyrights are reserved.

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50 New Focus | March / April 2018

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