Turkey moved up to 6th place for worldwide destinations and displays 31 million tourists this year against 10 million in 2002. Turkey has displayed for ten years will grow to rival jealousy. This saves 8.9% in 2010, 6.5% in 2011 and probably 2% in 2012. Istanbul is surprisingly clean and million Turks who traveled in 2002 became 10 million in 2012 . The aim of the Turkish tourism for 202 is to reach 50 million tourists.

When asked why Turkey has succeeded where Tunisia failed, he replied bluntly: “The investment. We have invested lost money for 15 years. Today we are beginning to reap the fruit of a real revolution! “.

In his allocuation during the press conference presenting the congress of the Tunisian Federation of Travel Agencies (FTAV) held late last week in Istanbul, the President of the TURSAB raised the keystone of this success: “Promotion, promotion and advancement.” He will add later: “Solidarity!”

A word that falls like a chopper in the audience, because if the Tunisian tourism is now in the doldrums, it is also and especially because of the lack of solidarity among professionals, and often conflicting relations with the administration . The sector is now paying the cost of our inability to work together. After the Solidarity revolution is still not found. Without consultation, dialogue and solidarity, the Tunisian tourism will manage  neither to evolve nor to flee.
If the Turkish example inspires admiration, it is impossible not to wonder how successful the tourism in a country marked by a conservative governance led by the ruling AKP?

The answer is in success. Turkish tourism is in great shape and brings growth, “Success is there and the area is so strong and structured that no one can run the risk of touching. No one can touch so tourism is a pillar of our economy! “.

Is it too late for the Tunisian tourism? Not at all. Basaran Ulusoy for, the answer is sharp and clear: “The only survival of Tunisia’s openness and modernity. This is why we must take care. The rest will come once we are given the means. “. And for proof, Turkey opened a development office in Tunis at the beginning of 2013 in a context of democratic transition still heckled.

The money is found!

Going back to the Turkish example is Gurcun Cetin, a member of the TURSAB, tour operator on Tunisia and another key man in the Tunisian-Turkish relations explains, “The older structures, the tourist transport fleet is not renewed … “.For him there is no doubt that at some point the Tunisian tourism is trying to regain its destiny in hand to get out of the grip of European tour operators. “This is where the Tunisian model broke. Turkey has avoided the trap by creating its airlines and we have 9 companies in addition to many Tour operators who have invested world tourism. We attacked new markets and will look for customers throughout Europe, Asia and America. ”
Indeed, it is in the 80s that the Turkish government has taken encouraging steps for tourism including a law setting out measures to encourage tourism investment: possibility for investors in areas and tourist centers, of leases of land belonging to the state for long periods (up to 49 years!), loans at low interest and long-term from the Turkish Bank (up to 60% of total cost investment) or for the tourism Development Fund (15% of the total investment amount for accommodation capacities greater than 300 beds), preferential tariffs granted to investors for the water, gas and electricity, opportunities for tourist facilities to employ foreign staff (up to 20% of the total), facilitated obtaining licenses to sell alcoholic beverages for the establishment of casinos, etc. This is so explain this!

Still, the Turkish tourism destinations like the Mediterranean seaside suffers from seasonality. He is working now to extend the enrollment period to exit the “diktat” Summer prevailing. Turkey is becoming a real winter destination with a focus on health tourism and wellness (medical, spa, spa), golf, boating, business and conference tourism.

On the other hand, a new map was shot with the creation of Anadolu Jet, a subsidiary “low cost” of using Türkish Airlines Ankara as Hub and serves 20 destinations Anatolian and Washington, Sao Paulo, Aleppo, Birmingham, Lahore , Oran, Alexandria … It is of course to attract migrant Turkish and foreign tourists. In a few years the main airport of Istanbul will be dedicated to the only Turkish Airlines to make another hub in the region. What sites and perspectives that dreamer!

Amel Djait

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