Letters to the Editor

If you want to write a letter to the editor, then email: info@voicesnewspaper.com

A campaign needed to stimulate tourism

Chris and Jean Button

Lets Solution Group

THE region has many things to offer a wide range of tourists and as a company we have being trying to promote this, but this requires a comprehensive media campaign that we have not had the resources to develop as we would have liked.

Many of these types of tourism can help to extend the tourist season of the area.  The Bafa Lake/Meandros Delta area is excellent for bird watching and this is especially true for April May and September October.

Ornithologists like to go to new places and are prepared to spend money on holidays to see different birds. These people can be targeted  via specialist magazines shows and the internet.

Local businesses would be able to provide either accommodation self- catering or hotel accommodation and this would be bringing money to local businesses such as local transport companies, cafes and restaurants.   This would also provide employment for local guides.

Many people are also interested in the history of this area and its relevance to the development of Christianity.  We would aim to provide group visits to meet specific requirements.

Many people have heard of Ephesus but many other areas and sites are not know and not promoted.  A prime example is Bafa Lake.  This has caves with Christian paintings and other caves with medieval paintings.

There are also the ruins of a monastery that can be explored. The Bafa Lake area also offers the possibility of offering walking trips and boat trips.  This can also then appeal to the adventure market which has a large potential clientele.

Holiday makers looking to follow aquatic pursuits can also be attracted.  Scuba diving and fishing are just 2 activities that can be developed to attract a greater range of holiday makers.

Many couples in the UK are now getting married abroad.  This area is ideally suited to develop this market offering a range of prices to suit all budgets.

The Abkuk –  Didim –  Altinkum area is ideally suited to providing accommodation for these types of holidays. Local businesses can support groups in planning their trips and also sell pre- arranged trips.

All these activities would bringing alternative tourist to the area and would expand the range of people visiting the area.

Many of these groups are prepared to spend large sums of money to follow their hobbies and this will also help change the holiday profile of the area.

The main cost for all this would be a campaign to target the different groups.  Most of the resources required are already in the area they just need to be better promoted so that potential tourists know what the area has to offer.

What needs to be done?

Develop a dedicated website and use Search Engine Optimisation to develop the flow of traffic to the site.  This site would need to promote the Didim area telling people what things they can do here.

Current sites are poor – does the council / tourist board have such a site?  It would be useful to look at sites of other areas on Turkey.  The site should be mulit-lingual.

Approach Tour operators across Europe (not just Germany – a high % of visitors to this area are from the UK ) with information about the area and the holidays that can be offered.  It is not just sand and sea!

A mixed media campaign starting December 2016 and running for January 2017.  There would then be occasional advertising to maintain the profile of the campaign.  This could include getting large newspapers magazines to run articles in their Travel sections.

Perhaps advice could be sort from Voices on how to structure this.

Attend shows like the ‘Destinations Holiday and Travel Show in the UK.  This is usually in February.

Summary

The development of alternative tourism would increase the visitors to the area and also increase the length of the season.  Activities like bird watching and walking would be mainly in March – May and September and October.

The use of self- catering and smaller hotels would also benefit the local businesses in the area keeping the spending in the area rather than the larger All Inclusive hotels which often do not help the local economy.

The resulting benefits to the area would bring a secondary boost to all other local businesses thus giving a multiplier effect to the money spent on such a campaign.

‘Appeal’ to tourists

D. Murray

I HAVE just read the article about the mayor sending begging letters to Germans to come and visit Didim.

Quite frankly I was amazed that anyone could think this will make the slightest difference to tourist numbers this year.

For a start most people will have made arrangements for this year already. Second, the major tour companies stopped coming here years ago due to the fact that almost the entire area of Didim was one giant tip and still is.

Yes I will agree that the idea of upgrading Altinkum streets and areas is a good one, but, as they say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and trying to do all these works in one winter just isn’t a realistic time scale and means that the work has to be rushed to finish if indeed it gets finished at all. Surely it would be better to do a bit at a time and finish each section properly.

Third, when tourists decide where to go they will look for a good exchange rate as well as good weather etc. Turkey at the moment has a very good exchange against the major currencies which should encourage the tourist to spend more.

Unfortunately the bar and restaurant owners seem to go against logical thought and in the face of fewer customers put prices up which has the effect of driving people away. Bring prices down and people will buy more.

Spain, Portugal, Greece to name a few are enjoying massive numbers,not all due to terrorism worries.

Other regions in Turkey seem to have got the message, having just returned from a couple of days in Icemeler where the streets are spotless and food and drink is half the price than in Altinkum, and funnily enough the bars/ restaurants are all busy.

The fifth reason is not the fault of Didim but the 180 day rule. I want to come here and spend my money in the local economy but as soon as my 90 days are up that’s me thrown out for six months so I spend it in Spain instead.

The residence visa fee is so high it is not economically viable. I own a house, I pay my taxes, I shop in the local shops, I put a lot of money into the local economy, but I cannot come here and spend more.

How many people are leaving here because of these things? I love it here, have lots of friends but I am afraid Altinkum is dying on its feet. Such a shame.

Music levels rising again

Anonymous

An open letter to Didim Mayor Deniz Atabay
Over the past years you have and still have many complaints about the noise from the nightclubs that operate at second beach.

Mr Atabay said only last year that he would ensure the noise generated from these clubs would be controlled.

This has not happened, the hours 3pm to 5am the next day the music is so loud it’s beyond reasonable.

You currently have a tourist problem, this will only get worse if you continue to allow these night clubs to take no consideration for the rest of the residents or tourists.

If you care to read the tourist web you will question why would anyone want to spend their holiday in Altinkum. Also is there not a new law in Turkey regarding noise levels?

Mr Atabay be brave and do what you say to encourage tourists to Altinkum.