The fact that Turkish Airline’s stall at the Bahrain International Travel Expo (BITE 2008) was visited over 2000 people making it one of the busiest airline stands at the BITE.
Umit Kurtar, Director Turkish Airlines who was head of the airline’s delegation to BITE 2008, told Bahrain Tribune that over the span of three days, the airline had distributed over 850 kilograms of various posters about Turkish tourism sector.
He said: “We are overwhelmed with the response from the visitors at the BITE and the airline intends to participate in such events in future as well.” Umit said Turkish Airlines has also increased the flight frequencies between Bahrain Turkey to seven from four weekly flights to cater for the needs of growing traffic.
“We will continue to tap the existing opportunities in this region as Bahrain over the years has been among the most potential markets in the GCC.” According to official figures, Turkey’s tourism income and expenditure increased in the fourth quarter of 2007 from a year earlier. Tourism revenue rose by 23.9 percent to $ 3.86 billion from $ 3.12 billion. Some $ 2.88 billion of the tourism income was obtained from foreign visitors while Turkish citizens residing outside supplied $ 975.84 million. Individual travels fetched $ 3.38 billion while package tours supplied $ 484.43 million.
Turkey had earned $ 18.5 billion from tourism last year, 9.5 percent more than in 2006.
Talking about the most favourite destinations in the country among the Gulf visitors, he said it was the central region. “This central region of the country hosts a number of interesting sites. Currently the centre of modern Turkey’s political life, it has been the center of a number of important culture and civilisations in the past. “The cities located in this region are Ankara, Çankara, Eskisehir, Kayseri, Kirsehir, Konya, Nevsehir, Nigde, Sivas, Yozgat, Aksaray, Karaman and Kirikkale.
“The capital city of Ankara is located squarely in the middle of Central Anatolia. The most visually impressive structure in the city is the Anitkabir mausoleum built for Ataturk. Ataturk founded the modern Republic of Turkey by winning the War for Independence and then made Ankara its capital. “Ankara is a city planned and developed for the modern world. The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations located in Ankara is among the best museums in the country. In the museum are exhibits from Anatolian civilisations starting from 50,000 BC and moving forward according to eras until the 2nd century AD.
“To the southwest of Konya is Beysehir Lake, a still undiscovered paradise full of natural beauty. To the southwest of the lake, Kubad Abad, the summer home of the Selçuk rulers, and the castle found on Kizkalesi Island are both sites worth visiting. The Esrefoglu Mosque and Tomb, located in Beysehir, have an important place among the timber architectural structures of the Selçuk period.
“As you travel through the region of Eskisehir, your lips will undoubtedly be reciting lines from the poetry of Yunus Emre.” The visitors from Bahrain, he said, preferred Turkey as a family tourism destination as we have a prefect blend of leisure and family culture which suits most of the families travelling to Turkey from this region.
