Highlighting that they have been the largest participant at the Antalya Tourism Fair since the first day, Jolly Chairman of the Board, Mete Vardar, said, "Despite the difficulties, especially during the pandemic, we thank the entire GM Center team, especially Selçuk Meral, who worked hard to ensure the continuity of the fair. The fair is growing day by day."
Vardar emphasized that they have grown in terms of location and expanded their participation company-wide at the fair, underlining that ATF will make significant contributions to Turkish tourism in the future.
Mete Vardar, mentioning that early reservations have started, said, "Winter opportunities for the 2024 summer season are actively being prepared."
Assessing this season, Vardar stated, "The year 2023 was a good season both for our company and for the industry evaluation. At Jolly, we achieved our growth targets in all departments, and in some departments, especially abroad, we exceeded the goals. The positive atmosphere we experienced in 2023 in our planning for the next year both excited us more and made our expectations much more positive. We hope that positive developments will occur both for our country and for global tourism in general. I wish for 2024 to be a year where peace, love, and tolerance are more widely discussed throughout the world," he continued.
"Hotel names and brands are much more prominent"
Jolly Chairman of the Board, Mete Vardar, pointed out that there are correct and deficient aspects in destination management in Türkiye, stating, "In Turkish tourism, hotel names and brands are much more prominent. Most tourists coming to Türkiye prefer the hotel brand over the region. They don't have much information about the region, and I can say that this has a negative impact. Tourists in the Aegean and Marmara regions have a bit more knowledge about the destination, but in the Mediterranean, this is a significant issue. Türkiye is a very rich country in terms of culture, history, and natural beauty. Tourists should be able to access these components. Therefore, our marketing strategy abroad should highlight the destination. We should make more serious efforts in favor of regional destinations."