The 13th Resort Congress, sponsored by İş Bankası and organized by AKTOB, took place at the Nest Congress Center in Antalya Belek.
The congress was attended by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya, TTYD President Oya Narin, TÜROFED President Erkan Yağcı, TÜROB President Müberra Eresin, Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek, Antalya Deputy Sururi Çorabatır, and Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin, along with numerous tourism professionals from both domestic and international sectors.
In his opening speech, Kaan Kavaloğlu, the President of the Mediterranean Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), said:
"If today we are talking about 100 million tourists and 100 billion dollars in revenue, it is thanks to the will that founded the Republic. Our geography, which has been host to dozens of civilizations, ranks among the leaders of global tourism.
Our greatest distinction is our people who breathe life into these resources. Tourism is an industry that derives its strength from people. The most indispensable element of our competitive power is our human resources.
Our tourism investors have achieved success on a national and global scale. Our synthetic identity encompasses both traditional and modern elements, bringing together all cultures in terms of geography and sociology.
One cannot speak of tourism without Antalya. Accommodation facilities have been opened with investment incentives. When we compare ourselves to our competitors, we are a young destination. Antalya, as the capital of tourism, plays a crucial role in the empowerment of tourism, offering a wealth of attractions such as the highest potential for 'repeat customers,' as well as sports, conferences, the sea, and golf.
Tourism is a significant factor in establishing peace. Tourism is peace. Our sector will be most affected by the changes caused by climate change. Therefore, we have chosen Sustainable Tourism as a topic and made it the most important issue for our sector. It will have a crucial role in tourism marketing, and we, as tourism professionals, support it.
During Minister Ersoy's term, we, as a sector, felt empowered. We thank him. We believe that he has correctly established your crisis management system. We thank everyone who contributed to our congress."