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Turizmin Yıldızları Qm Awards’ta Parladı

QM Awards 15. Yıl Gala Gecesinde Ödüller Sahiplerini Buldu Türk turizminin en prestijli ve en kapsamlı ödül platformu olan QM Awards’ın 15. Yıl Gala Gecesi, 25 Mart’ta Nest Kongre Merkezi’nde gerçekleştirildi. Turizm profesyonellerinin oylarıyla seçilen marka ve projeler, görkemli gecede ödüllerine kavuştu. Turizmin En Güçlü Alkışı: "Golden 15" Türk turizminin hafızasına kazınacak bir gece daha geride kaldı. Kalite yönetiminin stratejik gücünü simgeleyen “The Power of Quality” mottosuyla düzenlenen 15. QM Awards, bir kez daha sektörün en önemli paydaşlarını bir araya getirdi. Antalya’da gerçekleşen gala gecesinde, 15 yılın birikimi “Golden 15” konseptiyle taçlanırken; salonu dolduran binlerce profesyonel başarıyı ve emeği ayakta alkışladı. Işıkların ve alkışların ötesinde, bu yılki tören Türk turizminin küresel arenadaki yerini sağlamlaştıran güçlü bir “ortak akıl” buluşmasına dönüştü. Hayat Sanat Orkestrası’nın etkileyici performansı eşliğinde başlayan geceye; Devlet Tiyatroları Genel Müdürü Tamer Karadağlı, KKTC Antalya Konsolosu Aslı Erkmen, Antalya İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürü Ayhan Gök, TÜROFED Başkanı Erkan Yağcı ve AKTOB Başkanı Kaan Kavaloğlu ile sivil toplum kuruluşları, iş dünyası ve kamu kurumlarının önde gelen temsilcileri katıldı. Karşılama ve kokteyl ile başlayan gecede turizm gündemine ilişkin kısa röportajlar gerçekleştirilirken, konuklar gala öncesinde turizmin geleceğine dair görüşlerini paylaşma imkânı buldu. Misafirlerin gala salonuna geçmesiyle birlikte QM Awards’ın 2010 yılından bugüne uzanan 15 yıllık serüvenini ve “QM Golden 15” temasının vizyonunu yansıtan özel giriş filmi gösterildi. Uluslararası Antalya Turizm Fuarı (ATF26 Türkiye) ana sponsorluğu, Bedbank Global Gold sponsorluğu ve SAN TSG Exclusive sponsorluğunda gerçekleştirilen bu özel gece; North Cyprus, Corendon, Sun&Fun Holidays, Cyprus Royal, Tayga Group, Elektraweb, So Holidays, HelloOtel ve Bioscore Sustainability gibi sektörün öncü markalarının değerli katkılarıyla Türk turizminin gücünü, vizyonunu ve kolektif başarısını temsil eden bir zirve deneyimi olarak konumlandı. Selçuk Meral: “Kalite artık rekabetin zekâsıdır” QM Awards Kurucusu ve Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Selçuk Meral, gecenin açılış konuşmasında 15 yıllık yolculuğun Türk turizm endüstrisine kattığı değeri vurguladı: “Turizm artık yalnızca hizmet kalitesiyle değil; veriyle, vizyonla ve sürdürülebilir akılla yönetilen bir sektördür. Kalite, bugünün dünyasında bir tercih değil, rekabetin temel zekâsıdır. QM Awards, 15 yıldır bu zekâyı tanımlayan, ölçen ve ödüllendiren bir platformdur. Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’ün de dediği gibi; ülkesini en çok seven, işini en iyi yapandır ve Türk turizm profesyonelleri işini en iyi yapanlardır.” Erkan Yağcı: “Bu organizasyon hepimize moral veriyor” Türkiye Otelciler Federasyonu (TÜROFED) Başkanı Erkan Yağcı kalitenin Türkiye turizmi için vazgeçilmezliğini vurgulayarak şunları söyledi: “Türkiye turizm sektörünü tanımlarsak kaliteden başka bir kelime bulamayız; kalite-fiyat dengesinin en yüksek olduğu ülke Türkiye'dir. Zorlukları yönetme noktasında yeterince tecrübemiz, bilgi birikimimiz ve en önemlisi son derece elverişli bir insan kaynağımız var. Bugün bir dejavu yaşadım, pandemiden sonra da herkesin moralinin bozuk olduğu bir dönemde bu organizasyonda buluşmuştuk. Herkesin canının sıkkın olduğu noktada bu organizasyonu yapmak hepimize moral veriyor.” Kaan Kavaloğlu: “Dirayetli ve milli bir turizm sektörü var” Akdeniz Turistik Otelciler ve İşletmeciler Birliği (AKTOB) Başkanı Kaan Kavaloğlu ise, konuşmasında sektörün dayanıklılığına dikkat çekerek şu ifadeleri kullandı: “En zor dönem olan pandemide bile bu etkinliği yapabilme gayretini gösteren ekibe teşekkür ediyorum. Bu dönemde böylesine güzel bir etkinliğin içerisinde olmak bize bir nebze mutluluk veriyor. Zor bir dönem, zor bir coğrafya ama bu coğrafyanın içerisinde dirayetli ve milli bir turizm sektörü var. Bizi Avrupalı meslektaşlarımızdan ayıran en önemli kısım, başkalarının mutsuzluğu üzerine bir mutluluk kurgulamayacak karakterde bir sektör olmamızdır. Yorgunuz ama mutluyuz ve umutluyuz. 2026 sezonunun, en yakın zamanda savaşların bittiği, etrafımızdaki küresel risklerin azaldığı mutlu, sağlıklı bir sezon olmasını diliyorum.” QM Awards’ta Duygulandıran Sürpriz QM Awards Exclusive Sponsoru SAN TSG Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı Erol Türk, ödülünü aldıktan sonra mikrofonu devralarak QM Awards Kurucusu Selçuk Meral’e sürpriz bir takdim gerçekleştirdi. Türk turizmine sağladığı katkılar dolayısıyla Meral’e teşekkür eden Türk, sektör adına duyduğu memnuniyeti dile getirdi. Ödülün ardından QM Awards (GM Center) ekibi tarafından hazırlanan ve Selçuk Meral’in turizme katkılarını anlatan özel video gösterildi. Sürpriz karşısında duygulanan Meral, sektörün ortak emeğine vurgu yaparak teşekkür etti. Salonda duygu dolu anlar yaşanırken, sürpriz geceye damgasını vurdu. 11 Ana Dal, 54 Kategori: Rekor Katılım 100 Bin Oy QM Awards, bu yıl da şeffaf ve kapsayıcı yapısıyla sektörün en güvenilir pusulası olmayı sürdürdü. İki aşamalı ve SMS doğrulamalı oylama süreci, 16.423 turizm profesyonelinin katılımıyla rekor seviyeye ulaştı. 11 ana dal ve 54 kategoride kullanılan 100 bini aşkın oy; turizm ürününün değerinden misafir memnuniyetine, marka gücünden operasyonel mükemmeliyete kadar uzanan geniş bir yelpazede sektörün en iyilerini belirledi. Game Changers: Sektörün Dönüşüm Liderleri Bu yıl ilk kez hayata geçirilen “Game Changers” kategorisi, gecenin en dikkat çeken bölümlerinden biri oldu. Dönüşüm yaratan projeleri, yenilikçi iş modelleri ve vizyoner yaklaşımlarıyla sektöre yön veren liderler sahnede ödüllerini aldı. Turizmin farklı kulvarlarında “oyun kurucu” rolü üstlenen isimler arasında; Mehmet Aygün, Neşet Koçkar, Kaan Kaşif Kavaloğlu ve Ece Tonbul gibi sektörün önde gelen temsilcileri yer aldı. QM Summit 2027: Karar Verenlerin Zirvesi Gala gecesinde ayrıca QM Awards’ın 15 yıllık birikimini ileriye taşıyacak yeni yapı duyuruldu: QM Summit – Quality Management Summit. 2027 yılında hayata geçirilecek olan QM Summit; turizm sektörünü sadece konuşan değil, karar alan ve iş üreten bir yapıya dönüştürmeyi hedefliyor. Zirve kapsamında ele alınacak ana başlıklar: satış & pazarlama, finans, insan kaynakları, teknoloji, satın alma ve operasyon olarak belirlendi. İki gün sürecek organizasyon; forumlar, stratejik paneller ve planlı B2B görüşmeler ile sektörün sezon öncesi en kritik karar noktası olarak konumlanacak. QM Awards Gala Gecesi ise bu yapının finali olacak. 15. QM AWARDS: MÜKEMMELİYETİN ALTIN LİSTESİ QM DESTINATION FAMILY HOTELS • Türkiye's Best QM Kundu Family Hotel: Miracle Resort Hotel • Türkiye's Best QM Belek Family Hotel: Ela Excellence Resort Belek • Türkiye's Best QM Side - Manavgat Family Hotel: Voyage Sorgun • Türkiye's Best QM Kemer Family Hotel: Nirvana Dolce Vita Luxury • Türkiye's Best QM Alanya Family Hotel: White City Resort & Spa • Türkiye's Best QM Bodrum Family Hotel: Selectum Collection Bodrum • Türkiye's Best QM Marmaris Family Hotel: TUI BLUE Grand Azur • Türkiye's Best QM Fethiye - Dalaman Family Hotel: Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Spa • Türkiye's Best QM Kuşadası Family Hotel: Elite World Kuşadası • Türkiye's Best QM Didim Family Hotel: Maxeria Blue Didyma Hotel • Türkiye's Best QM Mersin Family Hotel: Park Dedeman Mersin Marina • Türkiye's Best QM Conservative Family Hotel: Bera Hotels Alanya QM REGIONAL CITY HOTELS • Türkiye's Best QM Anatolia Region City Hotel: Divan Gaziantep • Türkiye's Best QM Black Sea Region City Hotel: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Trabzon • Türkiye's Best QM Marmara Region City Hotel: Sheraton Bursa Hotel • Türkiye's Best QM Aegean Region City Hotel: Swissotel Büyük Efes İzmir • Türkiye's Best QM Mediterranean Region City Hotel: Akra Antalya • Türkiye's Best QM İstanbul Region City Hotel: Rixos Tersane İstanbul QM HOTEL BRANDS & MANAGEMENT • Türkiye's Best QM Luxury Hotel Brand: NG Phaselis Bay • Türkiye's Best QM Resort Hotel Brand: Nirvana Mediterrenean • Türkiye's Best QM Domestic Chain Hotel Brand: Paloma Hotels • Türkiye's Best QM Foreign Chain Hotel Brand: Accor Hotels • Türkiye's Best QM New Hotel Brand: Regnum The Crown TÜRKİYE’S BEST QM TRAVEL TECH • Türkiye's Best QM Online Management Software: Sejour - SAN TSG • Türkiye's Best QM Online Sales & Marketing Management Software: Paximum TÜRKİYE’S BEST QM DOMESTIC TOUR OPERATORS • Türkiye's Best QM Domestic Market Leadership: ETSTUR • Türkiye's Best QM Cultural Tourism Domestic Market Leadership: Jolly Tur • Türkiye's Best QM Corporate Domestic Market Leadership: Setur • Türkiye's Best QM Domestic Market OTA (Online Travel Agency): Tatilbudur • Türkiye's Best QM Domestic Market OTP (Online Travel Platform): Tatilsepeti • Türkiye's Best QM Development-Oriented Domestic Market Tour Operator Brand: Gezinomi TÜRKİYE’S BEST QM TOUR OPERATORS • Türkiye's Best QM Outbound Travel Operator: Wtatil.com • Türkiye's Best QM England Market Leadership: Jet2Holidays • Türkiye's Best QM Europe Market Leadership: TUI • Türkiye's Best QM Middle East Market Leadership: Mercan DMC • Türkiye's Best QM CIS Market Leadership: Fun&Sun Travel • Türkiye's Best QM German Market Leadership: Alltours Flugreisen GmbH • Türkiye's Best QM Destination Management Company: Akay Travel Service • Türkiye's Best QM Global Purchasing & Distribution Technology: W2M - World2Meet QM SPECIAL AWARDS • QM Türkiye Association Impact: G.P.T.A (Germany's Premium Travel Agencies) • QM Legacy Award: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı • QM Social Impact: T.C. Devlet Tiyatroları • QM Brand Impact: Türk Hava Yolları • QM Hospitality Impact: Calista Luxury • QM Expert Impact Award: Hüseyin Baraner GAME CHANGERS - HOSPITALITY • Game Changer – Resort Hotel Chains: Maxx Royal Resorts • Game Changer – City Hospitality: Rixos Tersane İstanbul • Game Changer – Luxury Hospitality: Cullinan Belek • Game Changer – Family Hospitality: The Land of Legends • Game Changer – Airport Hospitality: FTA Exclusive Premium Lounge - Antalya (AYT) GAME CHANGERS - SALES & MARKETING • Game Changer – Brand Globalization: Rixos Hotels • Game Changer – Customer Loyalty Operatorr: Anex Tour • Game Changer – Customer Loyalty Otel: Akra Hotels • Game Changer – Integrated Tourism Group: Corendon GAME CHANGERS - DOMESTIC TOUR OPERATOR • Game Changer – Domestic Market: Tatilbudur GAME CHANGERS - DIGITALIZATION & SMART TOURISM • Game Changer – Travel Tech Platform: Paximum GAME CHANGERS - LEADERSHIP & PERSONAL ACHIEVEMENT • Game Changer – Experiential Tourism: Cosmos Theatre • Game Changer – Woman Leader in Hospitality: Ece Tonbul / Paloma Hotels Group Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı | Emel Elik Bezaroğlu / Elite World Hotels Yönetim Kurulu Üyesi | Hediye Güral Gür / NG Hotels Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Hospitality Leadership Yatırımcı: Mehmet Aygün / Titanic Grup Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Hospitality Leadership STK - Profesyonel Yönetici: Kaan Kaşif Kavaloğlu / AKTOB Başkanı • Game Changer – Travel Leadership DMC: Burak Tonbul / Diana Turizm Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Travel Leadership Yurtdışı: Neşet Koçkar / Anex Group - Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Travel Leadership Yurtiçi: Mete Vardar / Jolly Tur Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Global Turkish Leader in International Tourism Business Seyahat Sektörü: Neşet Koçkar / Anex Group - Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Global Turkish Leader in International Tourism Business Konaklama Sektörü: Fettah Tamince / Rixos Hotels Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Global Turkish Leader in International Tourism Business Havacılık Sektörü: Yıldıray Karaer / Corendon Grup - Yönetim Kurulu Başkanı • Game Changer – Global Turkish Tourism Professional Konaklama Sektörü: Erkan Yıldırım / Rixos Hotels Egypt - CEO • Game Changer – Global Turkish Tourism Professional Havacılık Sektörü: Mehmet Gürkaynak / Emirates - Country Manager Türkiye, Bulgaria & Romania • Game Changer – Global Turkish Tourism Professional Seyahat Sektörü: Ömer Karaca / Schmetterling International - CEO

Sherwood Resorts and Hotels and Le Cordon Bleu Gastronomy Journey

The chefs of Sherwood Resorts and Hotels have elevated their skills by training at Le Cordon Bleu, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary academies. Through this training, designed in line with the gastronomy trends of 2025, the chefs acquired new techniques and innovative approaches in the culinary arts. Following the successful completion of the training, the chefs have brought their newfound knowledge and experience to life in the kitchens of Sherwood Resorts and Hotels, offering guests unparalleled flavors.

Joint tourist routes between Bulgaria and Türkiye on the agenda

Speaking at the opening of the tourism forum “Bulgaria - discover and share” in Istanbul, which aimed at discussing the possibilities of interaction between the Bulgarian and Turkish tourism product, Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev expressed the belief that there is significant potential for further increasing the exchange of tourists between the two countries. The winter tourism routes in Bulgaria, including Bansko, are well known in Türkiye, Minister Miloshev said, adding that the total number of Turkish tourists visiting Bulgaria between December 1, 2023 and March 25, 2024 is 53,000. “It is in the interests of both countries to create common tourist routes based on common history, culture and culinary traditions,” said the Bulgarian Tourism Minister, who emphasized the need to create a common tourism product between Türkiye and Bulgaria during a meeting with representatives of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies. Preparations are underway to organize a tour of Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo for tourism operators, travel agencies and media outlets from Türkiye before the start of the winter season, with the aim of promoting winter and SPA tourism opportunities in our country. Tourism Minister Miloshev met with representatives of the Turkish Airlines Company to discuss the possibilities of attracting more Turkish tourists to Bulgaria from Türkiye and destinations such as China and Japan. Turkish Airlines expressed their readiness to advertise Bulgaria as part of the joint tourism product with Türkiye.

The application process has started for 'travel-loving' young people

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Aşkın Bak, announced that applications have started for the Seyahatsever Project, which offers young people free accommodation in GSB dormitories. In his post on social media titled "Let the preparations begin and routes be created with Seyahatsever!" Minister Bak said, "Our young people will stay in GSB dormitories for 5 days free of charge and will have an unforgettable summer discovering the unique beauty of our country." The Seyahatsever Project will continue from July 8 to August 25. As part of the Seyahatsever Project, one girls' and one boys' dormitory in provinces except for the earthquake region will be allocated for the use of young people during the summer period. Young people aged 18-30 who want to benefit from the project can call the call center at 444 0 472 (ALO GSB) at least one day in advance and make a reservation to stay free of charge for 5 days in the GSB dormitories in the province of their choice. The project will continue from July 8 to August 25. Detailed information about the project can also be accessed at "seyahatsever.gsb.gov.tr".

Istanbul's tourist inflow still robust as 8-month arrivals top 11.5M

The number of tourists arriving in the metropolis, often described as the bridge between Europe and Asia, jumped 13.2% year-over-year from January through August to 11.52 million, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said. This year’s momentum has been driven by an influx from Europe, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom, besides arrivals from Russia, mainly due to flight restrictions imposed by Western nations over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Arrivals from the Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, have also gained momentum. In August alone, arrivals jumped 4.9% to nearly 1.75 million, the data showed, maintaining a strong trend after July’s figure of 1.87 million marked the highest monthly level in a decade. Visitors from Russia (179,017), Germany (127,486), Iran (101,459) and the United States (81,257) topped the list of foreigners who visited Istanbul in August. Among others, arrivals from Saudi Arabia (74,664), the United Kingdom (72,002) and France (61,850) also gained pace. Within the Arab countries, Saudi Arabia maintained its leading position, followed by Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Libya and Egypt. The overall figure accounts for almost a third of 33.4 million tourists who arrived in Türkiye in the eighth-month period, which marked a nearly 14% year-over-year jump, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data. The city’s main gateway, Istanbul Airport, continued to play a pivotal role in facilitating international travel. In August alone, some 1.23 million tourists opted to use Istanbul Airport out of a total of nearly 8.1 million foreign travelers serviced in the first eight months. Tourism represents a critical source of revenue for Türkiye as the government focuses on curbing the chronic current account deficit. Last year’s complete rebound from the pandemic fallout saw the number of tourists near a record, generating all-time high revenues and prompting the government to raise its annual estimates. The government sees foreign arrivals reaching 60 million this year, which it estimates will hit 90 million in 2028. For the income, it sees it rising to $56 billion this year and $100 billion five years from now. The revenues surged 27% year-over-year to $21.7 billion in the first six months of this year. Arrivals surged 80.33% to 44.6 million in 2022, just shy of the peak of 45.1 million in 2019. Income climbed 53.4% to a record high of nearly $46.3 billion as the lingering effects of the pandemic dissipated and Russian arrivals rocketed after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Tourism contributes about 10% to Türkiye’s gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, around 1.7 million people worked in accommodation and food services in 2022 – about 5% of total employment.

Hong Kong is set to give away 500,000 free airline tickets

The “Hello Hong Kong” initiative was unveiled on Thursday but has been in the works for over two years. Tickets will be spread out among the city’s three airlines – flag carrier Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hongkong Airlines. The 500,000 tickets cost the city about $254.8 million in total. How the giveaway works Travelers keen to travel to Hong Kong can visit the World of Winners splash page starting March 1 to enter their names into the flight ticket lottery. The tickets will be allocated in three waves: from March 1 to people across Southeast Asia, from April 1 to people living in mainland China and from May 1 to residents in the rest of the world. Locals can get in on the action, too. From July 1, some airline tickets will be given out to Hong Kongers eager for a chance to make up for lost travel time. Those who have been to Hong Kong before will find a different city than the one they may remember. Some beloved local attractions, like the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant, have closed permanently. Others, like the famous Peak Tram, have gotten a makeover during the pandemic. Bringing travel back Hong Kong was slow and cautious in its approach to the coronavirus pandemic. The city began to cancel in-person events in January 2020 when the first cases of patients exhibiting symptoms of a new flu-like disease were reported in Wuhan, China. Traveling in and out of Hong Kong was challenging and expensive during the pandemic. Strict quarantines, which peaked at 21 days of isolation, and requirements for multiple PCR tests kept out the majority of travelers. These quarantines were served in hotels and paid for by travelers. Those who tested positive for the virus on arrival were sent to government facilities. Entry into the city was restricted to Hong Kong residents. A Facebook group of more than 30,000 members helped Hong Kongers support each other through the challenging period, with some members sharing food deliveries, giving advice about coping with solitude and trading exercise tips. Before the pandemic, Hong Kong saw 56 million visitors in a typical year. By 2022, that number had fallen to about 100,000. And it wasn’t only foreign tourists staying away. The financial hub experienced its largest population drop since 1961, going down 1.6%. By the time the city’s chief executive John Lee announced in September 2022 that quarantines would end, some worried it might be too late. Source: CNN Travel

Turkish travel spending more than doubled in 2022 season

Spending on local trips in Türkiye more than doubled in the third quarter of 2022, as domestic tourism mobility gained pace in a year marked by an overall rebound in foreign arrivals. Local travelers spent about TL 63.37 billion ($3.37 billion) on trips within Türkiye in the July-September period, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said, marking a 112.6% increase versus a year ago. The authority said nearly 19.16 million people traveled in the third quarter. The number of trips with one or more overnight stays rose 1.1% year-over-year to 23.38 million, the data showed. The travelers made approximately 225.21 million overnight stays. Average overnight stays were 9.6 nights per person, while spending per trip amounted to some TL 2,710, the institute said. Personal expenditures accounted for 88.7% of the overall spending, followed by tour expenditures, which represented 11.3%, or TL 7.17 billion. Food and drinks spending accounted for 31.8%, followed by transportation at 27.8% and accommodation at 15.1%, the data showed. Food and drinks expenditures rose 108.5% year-over-year, while the latter two were up 155.8% and 111.1%, respectively. The rebound in domestic tourism added to a buoyant 2022 season that saw a strong recovery in the number of foreign visitors arriving in Türkiye, after a 2020 slump owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Backed by demand from European countries, foreign arrivals jumped 84.77% year-over-year in the January-November period of 2022, reaching 42.16 million people, matching pre-pandemic levels of 2019. With 5.48 million arrivals, Germans topped the list, followed by nearly 4.95 million arrivals from Russia and 3.3 million arrivals from the United Kingdom, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data. The arrivals have been mainly boosted by Russian visitors who were hit by flight restrictions by Western countries after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The rebound prompted the government to revise its year-end tourism targets several times throughout the year. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy last month said they expected 51.5 million tourists and $46 billion in revenues in 2022. Estimates had stood at 45 million arrivals and $35 billion in income at the beginning of the year. Forecasts for 2023 have also been upgraded, as Türkiye now expects 60 million foreign visitors and $56 billion in revenue. Officials had hoped tourism this year could replicate or exceed 2019 figures when some 52 million visitors brought in $34 billion in revenue. The number of foreign visitors soared by 94.1% to 24.71 million in 2021 when COVID-19 measures were eased compared to 2020. Tourism revenues doubled to almost $25 billion but remained well below the recorded level in 2019. Revenues from January through September 2022 already reached $35 billion, according to data from TurkStat, up nearly 68% versus the same period in 2021. Tourism revenues are vital to Türkiye’s economy as the government’s new economic program focuses on flipping the current account deficits to a surplus, prioritizing exports, production and investments while curbing rising inflation. Source: Daily Sabah

"Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi" ilk seferine başlıyor

Bakanlıktan yapılan açıklamada, Turistik Doğu Ekspresi'ne yoğun talep geldiğini, bunun sonucunda da yeni sefer çalışmalarının yapıldığı belirtildi. Yarıyıl tatilinde artan turizm amaçlı yolcu talebini karşılamak amacıyla Kars-Erzurum arasında "Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi" adında yeni bir seferin işletmeye konulduğu bildirilen açıklamada, şu bilgilere yer verildi: "Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi, 21 Ocak'ta başlayıp, 31 Ocak'a kadar her gün işleyecektir. Şubat içerisinde sadece cumartesi ve pazar günleri çalışacaktır. Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi Kars'tan saat 07.20'de hareket edecek, Erzurum'a 11.10'da ulaşacaktır. Erzurum'dan 14.55'te kalkacak tren, Kars'a 18.45'te varacaktır. Pulman tipli vagonlardan oluşacak tren gidiş ve dönüşte Sarıkamış'ta duracaktır." Açıklamada, trenlerin, 234 kişilik kapasiteye sahip olacağı ve biletlerin internetten, mobil uygulama ve gişelerden satın alınabileceği duyuruldu. Yeni rota ile bölgenin turizmine destek verileceği vurgulanan açıklamada, şunlar kaydedildi: "Ülkemizin saklı güzelliklerini hem vatandaşlarımıza hem de turistlere tanıtıyoruz. Demir yolu taşımacılığında yaşanan gelişmeler, vatandaşlarımızın seyahat tercihlerini de etkiledi. Demir yollarında bahar havasını yeniden oluşturduk. Demir yollarının Türkiye için stratejik önemde olduğunu biliyoruz. Bu bilinçle mozaiğin parçalarını birleştirircesine demir yollarını ayağa kaldırıyoruz."

China lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travellers

Photo by Norbert Braun on Unsplash. Scene in Chinatown Bangkok China has lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travellers, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation even as the country battles a surge in Covid cases. On Sunday, mainland China also opened its border to Hong Kong, dismantling the last pillars of a zero-Covid policy that had shielded people from the virus but also cut them off from the rest of the world. The containment policy had a huge impact on the world’s second-biggest economy and generated resentment throughout Chinese society that led to nationwide protests just before it was eased. In the final unravelling of those rules, Sunday saw inbound travellers to China no longer required to quarantine, after almost three years of being subject to varying durations of mandatory isolation. At Shanghai’s Pudong international airport, a woman surnamed Pang told news agency AFP she was thrilled with the change to the rules. “I think it’s really good that the policy has changed now, it’s really humane,” she said. “It’s a necessary step, I think. Covid has become normalised now and after this hurdle everything will be smooth.” Chinese people rushed to plan trips abroad after officials last month announced that quarantine would be dropped, sending inquiries on popular travel websites soaring. But the expected surge in visitors has led more than a dozen countries to impose mandatory Covid tests on travellers from the world’s most populous nation as it battles its worst-ever outbreak. The outbreak is forecast to worsen as China enters the lunar new year holiday this month, during which millions are expected to travel from hard-hit megacities to the countryside to visit vulnerable older relatives. China on Saturday marked the first day of “chun yun”, the 40-day period of lunar new year travel known pre-pandemic as the world’s largest annual migration of people. This lunar new year public holiday, which officially runs from 21 January, will be the first since 2020 without domestic travel restrictions. China’s ministry of transport said on Friday that it expected more than 2 billion passengers to take trips over the next 40 days. In China’s southern semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, stringent cross-border travel restrictions with the Chinese mainland were relaxed on Sunday. Hong Kong’s recession-hit economy is desperate to reconnect with its biggest source of growth, and families separated by the boundary are looking forward to reunions over the lunar new year. Up to 50,000 Hong Kong residents will be able to cross the border daily at three land checkpoints after registering online. Another 10,000 will be allowed to enter by sea, air or bridges without needing to register in advance, the city’s leader, John Lee, said. More than 280,000 in total had registered to make the journey within a day of the new rules being announced. But Hong Kong travellers will still need to present a negative nucleic acid test result obtained no more than 48 hours before departure. ‘We are ready’: relief and excitement builds in Thailand with Chinese tourists set to return Immigration authorities will start issuing permits for mainlanders to travel to Hong Kong and Macau “according to the epidemic situation and service capacities”, the city has said. Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific has said it will more than double its flights to the Chinese mainland. Across Asia, tourist hubs are preparing for a surge in Chinese visitors. At a crepe stand in Seoul, Son Kyung-rak said he was making plans to deal with a flood of tourists. “We’re looking to hire and preparing to stock up,” the 24-year-old said in Seoul’s popular downtown Myeongdong district. “Chinese tourists are our main customers, so the more the merrier.” In Tokyo, caricaturist Masashi Higashitani was dusting off his Chinese language skills as he prepared for more holidaymakers. But while he said he was thrilled about China’s reopening, he admitted some apprehension. “I wonder if an influx of too many of them might overwhelm our capacity. I’m also worried that we need to be more careful about anti-virus measures.” Source: theguardian.com