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Turkish Tourism at the Door of Europe: Perceptions of Image in Historical and Contemporary Perspectives

2005; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 41; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00263200500119282

1743-7881

Arzu Öztürkmen,

Cyprus History, Politics, Society

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes The author gratefully acknowledges the support and assistance of Eurasia Tourism General Manager and ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents) Turkey representative Günnur Özalp, Pasha Tours Marketing and Sales Manager Alp Özdikicioğlu, Retur General Manager İskender Çayla, and Baltac Turizm Operations Manager Alp Beyce. By sharing their ideas about the development of tourism in Turkey and in Europe, they not only showed sources which would otherwise remain unknown, but also greatly contributed to the framework developed in this essay. See Rhodri Thomas (Ed.), ‘The Hospitality Industry, Tourism and European Integration’, The Hospitality Industry, Tourism and Europe (London: Cassel, 1996), pp.1–15. See F. İstanbullu-Dinçer, Avrupa Birliği'nde Turizm ve Uygulanan Politikalar (Tourism in the European Union and Implemented Policies) (Istanbul: Der Yayınları, 1997). Within the context of the competition in South European tourism, Turkish members of the tourism sector emphasize that especially Greek tourism companies encourage tourists to come as far as Greece without visiting Turkey. They even express that Greece constructed its image for years on a ‘Don't Go To Turkey’ motif. See Communication Arts (Nov. 1997), p.149. Actually, Turkey's mobile population in tourism figures quite high. As Asya Tur General Manager Haldun Bezci puts it, domestic tourists do not abandon ‘internal tourism’ even during crisis periods and ‘although they may prefer three-star facilities to four-star ones, or camping facilities to pensions, they are still as mobile as ever’. Milliyet, 10 Feb. 2002, p.9. See Reşit Saffet, ‘Turizm (Tourism),’ Ülkü, Vol.1, No.1 (Feb.), p.65. See K.Ö. Çağlar, ‘Türkiye Toprakları (Turkish Lands)’, Ülkü, Vol.17, No.100, (1941), pp.355–6. See Ülkü, 1933. ‘Köy Anketi (Village Survey),’Ülkü, Vol.1, No.6 (1933), pp.362 – 4. See A.İ. Kültür, ‘Kültür Hazinelerinden İstifade Edelim’ (Let Us Benefit from Our Cultural Heritage), Fikirler, Vol.8, No.174 (1938) pp.10–11; and A.Güneysu, ‘Turizm Bakımından Şarki Karadeniz Sahillerimiz’ (Our Eastern Black Sea Coasts and Tourism), Aksu, Vol.4, No.40 (1946) pp.18–19. See Yaşar Nabi, ‘Turizm Meselesi ve Türkiye’ (The Tourism Question and Turkey), Ülkü, Sept. 1938, pp.53–64. See Çelik Gülersoy, ‘Turizm Olgusunun Gelişimi’ (The Development of the Tourism Phenomenon), Cumhuriyet Dönemi Türkiye Ansiklopedisi (Istanbul: İletişim Yayınları, 1989), pp.2556–62. Cases harming this image are at times featured in the press as well. How Ercan İlbay, owner of European Flight Center in Belgium, vanish into thin air with the US$ 1 million he had collected from passengers, is one such example. See Hürriyet, 30 July 2001. See the Pasha Tours Customer Loyalty Research prepared by the company Infratest Burke, Feb.1999. This kind of tourism, where tourists travel freely in the country they are visiting, is not encouraged in some Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt; in fact it is legally not even permitted. See Hürriyet, 25 Dec. 2001, p.4. Unveiling was a principal reform of the Turkish republic. Fezleke members, on the other hand, had established their reputation on hiding their face while belly dancing. This in a widely broadcast TV show did not conform to the image that Turkey wanted to promote. The dancers however did not want to change their own group's tradition and wanted to continue to hide their faces. See Hürriyet, 23 Dec. 2001, p.4. See Hürriyet, 25 Dec. 2001, p.4. Hürriyet, 25 Dec. 2001, p.4. See Yeni Yönetim Kurulu'na Öneriler (Suggestions to the New Board of Directors), 10 Nov. 2001, prepared by a group that includes the companies Retur, ICT, Eurasia, Turke, and Credo Turizm. A distinction must be made between this journal, and other tourism-oriented periodicals. The TÜRSAB Dergi put out by TÜRSAB, which has been active for almost two decades, provides a platform more for the internal communication of the tourism market for the development of certain approaches and the exchange of ideas, and is published in Turkish. The journal, while providing information about the domestic market to its readership, also conveys news from the global tourism market. See TR, Vol.1, No.1, 2000–01. See Cumhuriyet, 6 Jan. 2002, p.19. See Hürriyet Cumartesi, 5 Feb. 2002, p.3. See Hürriyet Cumartesi, 5 Feb. 2002, p.3. See Radikal and Hürriyet, 18 Dec. 2001, pp.10; 8. See Hürriyet, 11 Feb. 2002, p.19. Regional members of the tourism sector and traders have assessed the losses incurred last year as a result of the gay tourists being prohibited from walking around in Kuşadası from a critical point of view. Kuşadası Laventa Mar Ship Agency representative Özer Esenkaya and Chamber of Commerce President Ali Ergül from among them state that erasing the memory of this unpleasant encounter that occurred in 2000 is no easy task, and that it brings with it income losses amounting to hundreds of thousands dollars. See Hürriyet, 30 July 2001, p.18. Although these two sectors are viewed as being very relevant to one another, it is very rare that they meet within decision-making mechanisms. Someone from the TÜRSAB Board joined the ITO Board for the first time in late 2001 (TÜRSAB Bulletin, Oct. 2001, No.24, p.1). See Hürriyet, 30 Dec. 2001, p.6. ‘Public transport is inexpensive and comprehensive, car hire is ridiculously expensive’ and ‘Dolmuş is a great Turkish institution’. See Paul Strathern, Turkey: Trip Planner and Guide (Chicago: Passport Books, 1995), pp.22–3. ‘Surprisingly the police will often take your side against local opposition, if your case is good.’ See Paul Strathern, p.26. ‘Avoid travelling at all costs on these holidays.’ See Paul Strathern, p.28. ‘Few Turkish writers are available in translation, …like Yaşar Kemal and Sait Faik.’ See Paul Strathern, See Paul Strathern, Turkey: Trip Planner and Guide. See Tom Brosnahan and Pat Yale, Turkey (London and Paris: Lonely Planet Publications, 1996), p.9. ‘Skiing facilities are basic, even primitive, but equipment can be rented.’ See Tom Brosnahan and Pat Yale, Turkey. See the speech Minister of Tourism Mustafa Taşar made at the 6th Bilkent Tourism Forum (March 2002).