TURKEY: Marvelous Antalya Expecting 7 Million Tourists

Antalya, one of Turkey’s most popular tourist attractions in the Mediterranean region, has welcomed a total of 6.9 million foreign tourists between January and July 18, marking a strong 16 percent annual increase.

Some 86,000 tourists arrived in the city each day through Antalya and Gazipaşa airports, but on July 14 the city saw a record 96,191 arrivals.

The previous daily arrival records were broken again this year on June 22 with 86,308 and June 29 with 90,989.

We wake up to a new day with a fresh record. If this trend continues we will easily meet our target of hosting 16 million tourists set for this year, Ülkay Atmaca, the head of the Professional Hotel Managers’ Association (POYD), said.

What matters is not only breaking records but also creating a sustainable tourism industry, Atmaca noted. We need to receive 90,000 tourists every day throughout the year, he added.

The Russian and European markets are performing well so far and there have been increases in the number of tourists visiting the city, according to Atmaca.

He reiterated hoteliers demand that the government extends the upcoming Eid al-Adha holiday to nine days to give boosts to domestic tourism activity.

Foreign tourist arrivals have been in line with expectations so far, said Erkan Yagcı, the president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers’ Association (AKTOB).

Yagcı stressed that Russian tourist visits have particularly been satisfying.

Last year we hosted 4.8 million Russian holidaymakers. We predict a 5 percent to 10 percent growth in the number of Russian tourists per year. We target to welcome more than 5 million Russian tourists, he said.

In remarks he made in June, Yagcı said that at least 250,000 Russian police officers and their families are expected to visit Turkey starting from August after Moscow removed a ban that had prevented members of the Russian security forces from traveling to some countries.

Full of archaeological sites, Antalya is a haven for those who love to delve into history. One of the best-preserved theaters in the world, with a seating capacity of 15,000 spectators, Aspendos is a site to marvel at! During summer, this theater comes to life with Opera performances.

Perge, an important trading port back in 1300 BC, is another great site to see ancient ruins. It was conquered by Alexander the Great and was used as a base for his future conquests. Phaselis, Termessos, Olympos, Myra – these are some of the interesting sites that will take you back in time!

If you are a hiking enthusiast then you must take the Lycian trail – a marked trail around the coast of Lycia in southern Turkey, from Fethiye to Antalya.

Unique and breath-taking, the Lycian Way is a darling of avid hikers and has been rated as one of the most beautiful long distance hikes in the world!

Stretching over 540 kilometers, this trail promises an abundance of wow moments. Passing through several ancients ruins, villages, mountains, and offering some stunning views of the Mediterranean – head for the Lycian Way, your trails will never be the same again!

In the old town of Kaleici, the historic centre of Antalya, it is easy to get lost in the maze, but at the end of the day you will be truly satisfied. Walk in the narrow, cobbled streets, admire the stone and timber houses built during the Ottoman-era; most of them converted into hotels.

As the day draws close, sit by the ancient harbour, while admiring the most enigmatic sunset. The harbour is home to boats and yachts and has plenty of restaurants and bistros offering the best of Mediterranean cuisines.

Enjoying a meal or two by the harbour front or by a beach, or on a mountain – the dining experience in Antalya is quite different.

From a five-star rated restaurant to a traditional, homely food joint, or a quaint cafe near a waterfall, there is no dearth of great places to enjoy a good meal in this city.

Antalya is one of the best places in Turkey to experience luxe living! Stunning beaches dotted with luxury resorts and hotels, life is a retreat here in this picturesque town.

Whether you fancy a sprawling resort near a beach, or a cozy hideout with an old world charm, Antalya has it covered for you!

Night owls can look forward to having a gala time in Antalya! As the sun goes down, this summer town dons a different look.

The town is filled with big, fancy discs, as well as small, cosy pubs and bars – catering to the needs of different types of travellers. Antalya’s nightlife is legendary!

The old town of Kaleici is the best place to shop for local goods and souvenirs from Antalya. Clothes, jewelry, antiques, and carpets – everything is available in the market.

Antalya’s biggest street bazaar, Lara Street market is yet another great place to shop and hone your bargaining skills; it opens every Saturday.


Tourism Observer

TURKEY: Disabled Woman Of 87 Years Paraglides In Fethiye

An 87-year-old local woman has impressed social media with her paragliding skills in the Aegean province of Mugla.

Halime Akcan, a retired worker living in the Aegean province of Denizli, visited her grandson Günay Tutgun, 43, a paragliding pilot, in Fethiye’s Oludeniz region last year, only to be refused by him to take on the daring experience.

Akcan told her grandson that she wanted to paraglide, but was rejected by him many times. But Tutgun eventually gave up saying no to his grandmother.

Tutgun brought his grandmother, who has walking difficulties, to the Babadag paragliding facility, which is 1,965 meters high.

Tutgun went on a tandem paraglide with his grandmother, recording the experience and later posting it on social media.

He shared the video on his social media accounts showing the two flying.

In the video Akcan is seen keeping her calm during the paraglide, while she also had a tranquil attitude after she took control of the parachute.

Tutgun stated that his grandmother was a good pilot and that he learned to fly from her.

The 87-year-old grandmother sent her greetings to her beloved ones in Denizli from the sky.

The video was watched by at least 500,000 social media users and shared thousands of times on the internet.

Following a great interest over the video, Tutgun said his grandmother returned to her home in Denizli, saying that he was pleased with the interest.

Earlier, I was worried because she has difficulties walking.

But I could not resist her insistence. We made the departure in a lovely weather with the help of the wind. So, she did not have to walk or run, he said.

He also remarked that his grandmother’s traditional clothes drew attention while she was flying.

My grandfather died many years ago. So, she sent her greetings to her beloved ones in Denizli. I also had the chance to chat with her in the air, he added.

Tutgun said there was no age for paragliding, adding that he previously flew with a 93-year-old person.

My oldest passenger was 93 years old. I have a friend who flew with a 101-year-old passenger. So, everyone between three to 103 years of age can paraglide. Paragliding is extremely safe and an entertaining sport, he said.

Common Scams To Be Carefull About When In Turkey

One of the hottest destinations in the world, Turkey is where the world meets. Since the ancient times, we have the Trojans, the Mongols, Romans, Greeks, Ottomans and many others who have traversed these plains. Today, it sits right at the cross section between Asia and Europe and the resulting cultural experience is fascinatingly unique.

However, despite being known as a friendly bunch, there is still a very intense bunch of crooks out to fleece you of your money. Getting recourse is difficult as well, as the police does not have a good command of English and from most anecdotes, are not readily willing to help. So what better way to protect yourself than to learn the most common scams in Turkey?

Be wary of hearing such a phrase. Though commonly used, you never know if it’s a friend or foe. The scam is wickedly simple. A stranger (could be a well dress man fluent in English, or a pair of random dudes, etc) comes up to you (usually against single travellers) and ask if you would have a lighter/know the way/help take a photo or what have you to establish innocence and to build rapport. Eventually, he will ask if you would like to grab a drink with him.

Should you take up the stranger’s offer, you will be brought to a highly recommended restaurant or bar. You will girls joining you, and you will be coerced into buying drinks. These few drinks will easily rack up a thousand dollar bill. If you have not passed out, be prepared to be escorted to the nearby ATM machine by a group of hooligans to make payment.

Another possibility is a spiked drink, this could happen anywhere, such as when a stranger such as a cab driver offers you a drink.

But I can hear ya, what if I really want to make friends with the locals? Well there are a few steps you can take:

- Does the restaurant/bar seem legit? i.e. are there customers?
- Is the stranger reading from a script? Evasive about things?
- Is he/she only bringing you to a particular restaurant or bar?
- Pretend that you have company by suggesting to go another place where you have a few friends at
- Only drink what your waiter or you have poured
- Take a photograph together
- Still, beware, this is such a common scam that in 2008, when police raided 6 nightclubs, they arrested over 100 people accused of this scam. These scammers include bar owners, bar girls, employees and sometimes even the police! Weapons and drugs were seized as well.

Be especially wary of “helpful” souls wandering around in Sultanahment and the Grand Bazaar who offer to guide you around the shops.

To protect yourself, learn how to separate the wheat from the chaff, or only visit licensed, experienced dealers with a good reputation. There are many “quality” fake goods out there, so if you don’t how to differentiate them, play it safe and not buy. Carpets especially are a hot seller, so please learn how to differentiate rugs of real quality versus Chinese fakes made of synthetic materials.

Another common fake would be coins and artefacts claimed to be from the Byzantine or Roman eras sold at historical sites such as in the town of Selcuk.

Some shady shops found online: Benny’s Shop/Benny’s Leather in the Kusadasi Bazaar,

Some stall owners/service providers are highly opportunistic. Should you not enquire about the price first before purchasing (it can be anything, such as a souvenir, a taxi ride or even a shoe shine service), be prepared to be hit with an astronomical bill after.

Even worse, there are restaurants who might charge you for items that you did not order. Always check your receipt before you leave.

Also, always negotiate the price before and check your bill after. Besides that, always negotiate in Lira, the local currency (and keep local petty cash with you) as a foreign currency will often be charged a higher price.

Just like the over-priced scam, always make sure of the currency that you are quoted! There’s a huge difference between Euro and Lira, so besides checking verbally with the stall owner, check your credit card bill as well should you use it.

One common trick these scammers use is to drop their shoe shine equipment beside you. Should you help, they will offer to provide shoe shine services to you for free.

Should you accept, two things will happen. First, the scammer will strike up a conversation during the service, and casually mention add on services he is providing you. Alternatively, he may began telling you about his sad life story, making you feel bad for him.

At the end of it all, you will be charged with a hefty bill. Argue, and you will suddenly find many shoe shiners surround you.

As the name suggests, some stall owners/service providers/taxi drivers will suddenly “forget” to pass you your change. This is done by distracting you and engaging you in a conversation.

A reverse of this situation is for the stall owners/service providers/taxi drivers to pretend to have received less than what you have paid. They do this by quickly hiding the cash that you have paid them and claim to have received less.

And the next thing that happens, is that your credit card is charged twice.

Not a scam technically, but if you were to take a free sunbed at resorts (especially those in Bodrum), be prepared to face a barrage of touts asking you to buy overpriced food, drinks and items.

There are the common ones such as those who rig their meters, insist on not using their meters or insist that they have no change. Some may even swap your notes, e.g. you pass them a 50 Lira note, and it becomes a 5 Lira note suddenly (sleight of hand) and the driver shouts at you to pay more. In the past, some switched the meter to a nighttime charge (2x more) in the day, but this charge no longer exists! So do not be scammed if the driver tells you of this charge when you take a cab at night!

The sly ones will meddle with the meters while you are not looking. Others may even grab your luggage, lock it in the boot, and drive you to a bar and get you into the whole bar scam.

One tip is to avoid taking taxis at tourist spots, such as at the Sultanahmet area (Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace and the Grand Bazaar). Or simply use the metro system – it is convenient and good. If you really insist on taking a cab, pay using small, local currency and take a photo of the car number first. Also, before paying, hold a note and ask the driver what the value of the note is so that you can both agree on it and prevent the swapping trick.

Happens on the road, where a driver will signal certain parts of your car (wheels are the easiest) that is damaged. This helpful driver will claim to be mechanic, and help you replace the spare part by heading to a workshop nearby.

Apparently, there is nothing wrong with your car. What happens is that either the original part is taken away, repainted and returned, or it will be swopped with a part that is of lousier quality. Further, the mechanic will demand a huge fee for his service.

Surprise surprise, some scammers might come up to you, strike a conversation and be a companion on the trip since you both are conveniently on the same way. Next, they might offer your food or drinks laced with a fast acting sedative (it is colorless, odourless, tasteless) and rob you of your belongings once you pass out.

The boat trips they sell are way overpriced. Look instead, for reputable ones online or simply head to the Galata Bridge for a local ferry.

Not exactly a scam technically, but because of the Turkish law where you cannot make a claim while drunk, you will become a prime target of robbers when you drink in public.

This is practically present around the world, be especially careful around crowded spots such as tourist spots – Sultanhamet Square, Taksim Square, Cumhurriyet Caddesi, Istiklal Caddesi, etc – or on crowded transportation.

Some of the methods which they use include slashing your bag, snatching your bag, distracting you and even by conning you (e.g. asking if you could show a dollar in your country’s currency so that he will know where you keep your money).

There are many other methods pickpockets can use – learn more on these techniques by checking out the list of scams in Spain, home to the pickpocketing capital of world (Barcelona).

Istanbul Tourism Police Hotline

Contact: +90 212 527 45 03

Address: Emniyet Müdürlüğü Turizm Şube Müdürlüğü Yerebatan Cad. No: 6 Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Department of Customer Rights Office

Address: 133 Istiklal Ave

TURKEY: Celebrated Medical Tourism Destination

Turkey is fast becoming the top medical tourism destination in the world for a nip, tuck, laser eye surgery or hair transplant.

According to the Turkey Medical Tourism Outlook for 2017, the country is the preferred destination for hair transplant procedures for Arab nations.

Over the past few years rising costs in healthcare have caused an increase in the medical tourism industry, with patients flocking to parts of Turkey for cosmetic surgery.

According to the Turkey Medical Tourism Outlook for 2017, the country is the preferred destination for hair transplant procedures for Arab nations. The report also highlighted other emerging segments of Turkey’s medical tourism including dentistry, cosmetic surgery, infertility treatment and eye treatment.

“Patients are travelling to Turkey from all over the world, including the Gulf, seeking cosmetic surgery with a quick recovery,” said Mustafa Ozdemir, cultural and information attache from the Cultural and Information Office of the Turkish Consulate-General in Dubai.

“In fact, there are even companies that organise trips to Istanbul or south-western Turkey for procedures and treatments. Patients are looking for geographic proximity and the reputation of the country, when choosing Turkey, which is why medical tourism is increasing in the country and we anticipate significant growth in the near future.”

With Turkey treating nearly a quarter of a million foreign patients each year, the country boasts certified doctors in all fields and more Joint Commission International-accredited hospitals than anywhere outside the United States. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Turkey ranks ninth in the world for its number of plastic surgeons with 700 registered as practising in the country.

“People want to make the trip part of a tourism experience, so after their procedures they choose to stay in some of the most scenic cities in Turkey to make quick recoveries,” Ozdemir said. “These include Fethiye, Istanbul, Antalya, Marmaris, Bodrum and Kusadasi.”