All too often foreign tourists are given unrealistic expectations for impossibly "cheap" holidays and budget accordingly, starving resort economies. But it is not just about cheap mass tourism. What about the expensive all-inclusives where only a fraction of their money enters the local economy?
Quality independent or family run hotels are an important part of the tourism sector and should be officially encouraged. Across price brackets, authentic and traditional accommodation making the most of Turkish hospitality appeals to many tourists and travelers. They also bring much needed money into local economies. The excellent Small Hotels of Turkey guide is a case in point.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and provincial authorities must remember that not everyone wants to stay in exclusive holiday villages or all-inclusive hotels, whether or not they can afford to. The loyal majority comes here because they want an authentic experience: to learn about the country; meet the locals; eat local food. Continue to cover our coast with glitzy all-inclusive hotels (often with negative economic repercussions on local communities) and we not only risk destroying local businesses but also alienating independent tourists.
Last summer a friend prepared a simple audit, comparing the income earned from tourists renting accommodation and spending money in Kaya valley, near Fethiye, with those coming from nearby mass tourism resorts to race through the village on quad bike excursions and quaff a drink at a local bar. The results were self-evident, telling a tale from which the Turkish tourism authorities can learn a valuable lesson.
As long as planes are filled with tourists who offer little to our provincial economies and southwest Turkey is marketed as a brand famous only for its cheap tourism or segregated "holiday villages," the long term prospects for tourism are bleak. But if we genuinely want to make the most of this amazing country, its diversity of culture and geography, encouraging tourists to engage with Turkish authenticity, then we have to stop and think again - and fast.
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