Miscalculations, image hit tourism in N. Cyprus
Thursday, January 10, 2008
The pillar of the Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus’ economy, tourism, is on shaky ground. In recent months 24 hotels have closed down and 2,000 people have been let off. Around 50 hotels will close down after New Year’s Eve. Northern Cyprus Hoteliers Association Chairman Turhan Beydağlı says an immediate strategy should be adopted in order to create an image of Cyprus as a country of universities and tourism
İSMAİL YANMAZ
ISTANBUL - Referans
Investments in new hotels, which have been booming in Turkish Cyprus for the last three years in the hope that the United Nations mediated plan to find a lasting peace on the divided island will be accepted, are facing serious trouble.
The tourism sector in Turkish Cyprus is in serious crisis with 24 hotels closed and 50 more on the brink of shutting down. The rejection by the Greek Cypriots of the U.N. mediated peace plan is not the only reason behind the optimistic expectations for the tourism sector not materializing. The continuation of the isolation of the island despite promises from the European Union that sanctions will be eased, coupled with insufficient marketing are also considered reasons for the crisis.
Around 2,000 people were laid off, as occupancy rates did not even reach 30 percent, last summer. “Tourism suffered a lot due to many mistakes made one after another. And the sector will collapse unless a new strategy is developed leaving aside gambling,” said Turhan Beydağlı, chairman of northern Cyprus Hoteliers Association. Gambling is legal in northern Cyprus.
When Turkish Cyprus voted in favor of the United Nation's plan called the Annan Plan the construction and tourism sectors experienced a boom. Yet, they have been going through troubled times lately. The buildings initially planned for sale to the British remain unsold. The hopes for direct flights between Ercan Airport and destinations in the U.K. have faded away. Although the total number of beds rose sharply, the occupancy rate is only 44 percent for hotels with casinos and 30 percent for those without.
Beydağlı said problems in the construction sector also affected the tourism sector. “Tourism regions are filled with incomplete hotel constructions. Such a sight does not befit a tourism center. The south of the island receives three million tourists annually and the average accommodation period is 11 days. We receive 300,000 people, who visit only the casinos on weekends. There are new facilities. But they shared a piece of the current pie in the market rather than creating a new market.”
Beydağlı also criticized the fact that the hotels appear in the tabloid press. “It was thought that having some artists over at the hotels as a promotion would help the business. We became a derogatory topic in the tabloid press. Mafia settling in the casinos badly hit another source of income – the universities – as well as tourism. Families do not send their children because of the bad image and costliness. Even the universities now lack students.”
Gamblers instead of tourists:
Turkish Cyprus Chamber of Commerce Chairman Hasan İnce said the worst mistake was made in the marketing strategy. Unqualified staff were used in expensive and poor quality services. İnce said instead of normal tourists the marketing strategy had gamblers as a target audience, adding, “a normal tourist cannot get a one-week reservation. Weekdays are not sold, because gamblers book for the weekends. This led to a bad image. Gambling is not a priority for Cyprus tourism. It is time we started marketing Cypriot history, nature and culture. We can hold promotion campaigns in Turkey's busiest airports on the Aegean and Mediterranean coastline for foreign tourists. The primary obstacle before tourism is transport which should be subsidized by the state.”
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/arti ... wsid=93230
