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When the new Istanbul Airport started its service, it didn´t only rejuvenate inland flights in Anatolia with new energy, the new airport will also provide opportunities for growth for its partners abroad.

Tour operators as well as internationally active travel agency chains which know and understand Turkey are aware that Turkey is the only country in Europe, in the Balkans, the CIS, the Caucasus, the Middle East and in North Africa which will be able to attract 100 millions of visitors per year.

Tour operators and airlines know even better than us ourselves that Turkey will offer incredible opportunities for at least 15 years to come.

During a conversation with representatives of the German airlines branch I told them that Turkey will not only be a hub but also a center of growth, because Turkey will start to develop and strengthen its destinations and also to invest in new trends of product differentiation like for instance environmental and outdoor activities. Furthermore, I continued, Turkey is about to follow strategies in collaboration with local and also foreign capital which will help to achieve growth without harming the environment.

I added that we will be able to present a new model of development labelled “Model of Turkish Growth (MTG)” which our local authorities and also the people have been waiting for since many years and which will enable us to attain fast but at the same time sustainable success.

Now I imagine that many of my readers will find this statement highly bold and daring up to this point.

Pray continue to read nonetheless. I will also explain the conditions which will have to be met in order to realize these plans, and without which we will stall to stay at the very same place we are occupying for such a long time.

I believe in everything I have formulated up to this point. Right now all values and achievements we did attain in spite of all mistakes and errors during the last forty years are being scrutinized thoroughly. I am witnessing the way the marketing strategies used by our ministry are revised with a professional perspective and how everybody is working diligently in order to change even the remotest spot of our country into a center of productivity.

The fact that our ministry is making the right decisions once again after a long, long time gladdens all the partners in our branch of trade, but most of all the municipalities and also the associations managing our destinations, who want to break the vicious circle they are in for such a long time.

In the past, idle talk in our industry as well as many short-time solutions have made us lose a lot of money. Still we should be glad to witness that positive change has started just in time before the “point of no returned” has been reached.

This chance should be used by our industry – it has to get involved and join the effort! In the situation we all are in Turkey will not be able to tackle the problem of unemployment nor the chronically negative foreign trade balance without tourism. The present crisis has shown the authorities how important tourism is for Turkey.

The banking institutes are concentrating their hopes and expectations on tourism!

The new working ethics in our ministry and the self control concerning productivity criteria which it results in will force our branch of trade to steer a right course towards attaining “good products, good service and productivity”. If this had not been the case our branch of industry would have lost its attraction, its good reputation; it would have been damaged structurally, resulting in relegation from the premier league.

Also the global economic situation right now is very open towards new ideas, honest, fair and sustainable approaches and endeavors. For this our timing is very good, also regarding the chance to be offered international support. All parameters as favorable. Whereas tourism in Turkey has attained a now level of maturity and has also achieved a higher degree of reputation the global quest for new approaches had changed its goal from glittering attractions towards simplicity and pureness, towards fundamental values like earth, water and unpolluted air.

Also regarding the local elections to be held in Turkey next spring I would like to remind all candidates that Turkey should plan new EU-financed projects in relation to the topics mentioned above swiftly.

If we keep on advancing on the way leading to new achievements while developing new criteria on the basis of our data and prices, we will also be able to progress on the international markets and platforms. All doors of international institutions and associations are wide open for our industry.

Organizations in global tourism are working on new projects which will attain universal validity and binding character. In the framework of these project Turkey has to find the position it deserves. We must not lose this position!

The projects which are being designed right now include sustainability in destination development, but they also are concerned with equality and fairness for local citizens and all people employed in tourism.

I am absolutely convinced that all the positive expectations mentioned above can be realized if the tourism authorities in Turkey as well as the ministry develop projects and also solutions for present problems like climatic change, innovative traffic techniques, over tourism, seamless travel, best ager tourism and cruise trips, by following models and approaches which comply with the Berlin Convention. As far as I am concerned this is the fundamental condition for all these positive developments.

I am presenting my own proposals for solutions to the ministry regularly.

Hüseyin Baraner