Icmeler Online Holiday Forum & Reviews - Turkey

I read this article and I have copied part of it. It is worth a read especially the comments from people and their views on this.




http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=-2010-02-18



Minister Günay had said that 2010 would be the year Turkey would change its target audience for tourism. “The all-inclusive system is successful in bringing in large numbers of tourists,” said the minister. “We must now work to raise the quality of the tourists to Turkey.”

The country should give priority to cultural tourism, health tourism, golf tourism and spa tourism, said Günay, who added, “We have a high-quality product to serve tourists; we must now have consumers who demand quality and can pay for it.”














--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes Marg read it this morning and its sad that such a beautiful animal should be kept in captivity.

If I had my way there would be no such places

I have read this article and from the business point of view of Minister see some sense with his statement in that he sees the improvement in the Hotel,restaurants and leisure facilities being offered which requires the extra cost from the tourist to pay for it.The Minister is looking for a better return on the investments by attracting and encouraging people to spend more and at the same time discourage people who consider Turkey only as a cheap holiday.He is trying to keep Turkish resorts from following the path of resorts in other countries such as Spain and Greece classified as the Faliraki type and preventing drunkenness and rowdiness.He thinks that presenting Turkey as an up market place this will assist in pulling in more cash for the economy.
Alas in doing this he could destroy for me the main asset of Turkey which is the simplicity and natural feelings which I have enjoyed for over 20 years, this I am told does not exsist in the large 5* Hotels.
Prices are certain to increase rapidly within the next few years as when this is coupled to Turkeys desire to become a member of Europe and at the same time looking for better standard of living for the Turkish people it is bound to occur.Remembering that the population of this nation is over 75million it would be the largest in the European Union and I believe I read that 70% are aged 25 years or under these young people will be free to move across Europe and into Britain.They have to have an incentives to remain in there own home land.

Why are you being directed o an article on tourism and I am seeing an article on dolphin deaths

This is the link now, maybe they move the link down when they add new content.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2010-01-19

The link required is :-
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php? ... 2010-01-19

As tinkerbelle has said read the comments attached at the end of this article

I have to be negative on this, for me I see a hotel general manager wanting to charge more for his AI hotels, this does not mean that wages will increase to the workers, it is more likely that the share holders will receive a larger return on their share holding. Every company I know wants to employ people for the lowest costs possible this wont change.

My opinion is that AI also reduces the amount of money spent in the local economy as a high percentage of guests (Not All) tend to spend most of their time in the hotel.

Dave

dksbbs wrote:I have to be negative on this, for me I see a hotel general manager wanting to charge more for his AI hotels, this does not mean that wages will increase to the workers, it is more likely that the share holders will receive a larger return on their share holding. Every company I know wants to employ people for the lowest costs possible this wont change.

My opinion is that AI also reduces the amount of money spent in the local economy as a high percentage of guests (Not All) tend to spend most of their time in the hotel.

Dave

I have to agree, bars and restraunts are already struggling due to AI. If people want to spend money on 5* AI places that is there business, but that shouldn't be shown as a reflection that is what we all want. I like to eat out in different places as with Turkey being out of the Euro we can afford to do so. If anything I think they are being very short sited and may actually reduce tourist numbers as your average working person who can no longer afford to go to Euro destinations will also not be able to afford to go to Turkey.

Steve

dksbbs wrote:I have to be negative on this, for me I see a hotel general manager wanting to charge more for his AI hotels, this does not mean that wages will increase to the workers, it is more likely that the share holders will receive a larger return on their share holding. Every company I know wants to employ people for the lowest costs possible this wont change.

My opinion is that AI also reduces the amount of money spent in the local economy as a high percentage of guests (Not All) tend to spend most of their time in the hotel.

Dave

We go AI and use the same hotel every year. One year the hotel manager asked us if we didn't like the hotel because we were never there except for the occassional meal and bedtime! We take £3,000-£4,000 maybe more in spending money and we come back with nothing, as this all goes into the Turkish economy

I can see the two sides to this. I like the simplicity of the family owned hotels, take this away to go "up-market" and you lose a lot. Up-market doesn't have to mean aimed at people with lots of money either. Keep things simple, and don't let bars offering drink till you puke nights operate, and you then won't attract a bad attitude with the visitors.

Stick up more and more AI hotels or big hotels, and you might as well be in Ibiza or Mallorca - and in the former especially, people often don't realise the bad conditions of those hotels, nor the humongous crime rate against tourists targetting those hotels.

I'm really struggling to think of any resort bigger than a fishing village in Greece which isn't at least part aimed (If not fully aimed) at drunken party tourism, or doesn't have a reputation for rowdiness. Two popular Greek islands I've heard time and again on forums that there's a big unsavoury proportion of local men.

Hope I'm making sense, I'm really tired.

Having just returned from two weeks AI in Belek in a 5 star hotel have to say enjoyed the experience but didn't half miss the freedom we have in Icmeler. Yes in one way it was a cheaper kind of holiday as we hardly spent a
penny while we were there, mainly because there was nowhere to spend anyway, but we missed strolling around
meeting the locals and stopping here and there for a drink when we felt like it. Would do it again if the price was
right but if we couldn't have the holidays we have in Icmeler I dont think we would bother to go to Turkey and
if others felt like we do the Minister would soon find out that it is the ordinary people who love his Country and
bring the money in. Keep Turkey as it is now and let us have the choice

Don't want to spend all day and every day in one place, that's not a holiday, see your Icmeler friends and having a chin wag is a holiday

duffaire wrote:Don't want to spend all day and every day in one place, that's not a holiday, see your Icmeler friends and having a chin wag is a holiday

I know someone who goes to Side and stays in a 5* AI they spend all day and night in the hotel they can tell me very little about Side as they don't venture out. The thought of a holiday like that fills me with dread and I think I would want to come home after a few days. So I can't see how this minister thinks this kind of holiday is going to bring money into the Turkish Economy as apart from the hotel costs this is all that this kind of holiday will bring to the economy.

Steve

Totally agree with Duffaire and Steve, sure these 5* places are luxurious and people want maximum comfort when on holiday but when going AI you feel obliged to spend every waking minute in your hotel complex because you have already paid for it. As duffaire said the whole idea of a holiday is to break away from your everyday routine, eat at different places, meet the locals and go off exploring the resort!! We went AI once (not to turkey) and didn't leave the complex once as we felt we were wasting our money if we did; same food everynight, same english people by the pool...never gone AI since!

It is clear that the minister doesn't want me and my kind. He takes the Basil faulty "no riff-raff" approach.
So be it. There are plenty friendly Greeks just across the water who do.

Hector wrote:It is clear that the minister doesn't want me and my kind. He takes the Basil faulty "no riff-raff" approach.
So be it. There are plenty friendly Greeks just across the water who do.

You'd struggle to find more friendly people than the vast majority of Turks, to be honest - I've never encountered such genuine warmth and hospitality elsewhere. I'd rather holiday in Turkey any day!

yeah i agree the Turks are a lovely nation and will do anything to make your holiday special
they treat everyone with respect and make you feel very welcome
going all inclusive is good as you know that everything will be close to you
but on the other hand going out and about is better as you get to explore the area
xxxxx

Hector wrote:It is clear that the minister doesn't want me and my kind. He takes the Basil faulty "no riff-raff" approach.
So be it. There are plenty friendly Greeks just across the water who do.

Now Now Hector,

Iam sure the minister is not having a pop at you or your type

I have been visiting Greece since I was a young care free 16yr old, From Zante x2 to Corfux2,Crete x4 or 5 I have lost count and Athens. From a SC lads fortnight to a All Inc family fortnight I think I have seen it all and got the Greek football strip and flags to prove it .

I do agree with Blondie on this one,
You'd struggle to find more friendly people than the vast majority of Turks, to be honest - I've never encountered such genuine warmth and hospitality elsewhere. I'd rather holiday in Turkey any day.

It just took me 15 yrs to realise what I was missing. And we wont be looking back.

Garry.

I take it the minister wants to get rid of cheap & cheerful holidays. If Turkey makes itself too expensive then, I'm sorry, people will vote with their wallets and go elsewhere. There's no shortage of alternatives.
No amount of smiles makes up for a hole in your wallet. In any case doesn't the big smile go along with the open hand?

Nice reply Hector but as I like to holiday myself and not stay in a trashy place please tell me where these places are that you say There's no shortage of alternatives."

Don't say India as we all know that one but please let me know somewhere within say a 5 hour flight