13.4.2012

Ali Erkan Bezirgan: "Marine Tourism Industry Cannot Be Established Without Constructing Marinas"

9th Ordinary General Assembly of the Marine Tourism Association (DTB), comprising 2012-2014 period, and the Sectoral Meeting of the Association of Public and Marine Tourism, where basic topics of the pre-2012 period were evaluated, were held in İzmir. Speaking on behalf of the Board of DTB Association, Mr. Ali Erkan Bezirgan, Chairman, stated that yacht tourism and yacht business becoming widespread all over the world have made Turkish shores become common stop-over resorts for yachters. Bezirgan said: "The need for more moorings has necessitated the construction of marinas which offer qualified services and are communed with their environment. Without constructing marinas which are among the most important substructures essential for maritime tourism, maritime tourism industry cannot be established."

This year, 9th Ordinary General Assembly of the Marine Tourism Association brought together officials of public institutions and industry professionals in İzmir to focus on matters that need to be settled at state institutions before the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The meeting, of which Ali Erkan Bezirgan (D-Marin Marinas Group General Coordinator) is the Chairman of the Board, saw the attendance of related bureaucrats, industry representatives and members of the Marine Tourism Association.

Taking the floor at the meeting, Ali Erkan Bezirgan, Chairman of the Board of DTB, noted that yacht tourism and yacht business becoming widespread all over the world have made Turkish shores become common stop-over resorts for yachters. "The need for more moorings has necessitated the construction of marinas which offer qualified services and are communed with their environment. Without constructing marinas which are among the most important substructures essential for maritime tourism, maritime tourism industry cannot be established," said Bezirgan.

Emphasizing that one of the factors enabling yacht tourism to be a source of income is the maintenance and repair requirements of yachts, Ali Erkan Bezirgan continued: "Thus, it is required to have maintenance and repair services get improved in terms of price, quality and reliability and to encourage foreign yachts to winter in Turkey by increasing the number of marinas."

"Progress in marinas contributes to the demand for our country"

"It is obvious that marinas have functions apart from harboring yachts. It is observed that marinas initiate development processes in the region of investment and give rise to the birth of a coastal touristic economy in their whereabouts that grows with them," said Bezirgan and added: "The professional service approach at our marinas, maintenance and repair services furnished at boat yards, and quality tourism services offered in yachting business are constantly growing. The mentality that marinas are merely yacht parks or passageways has come to an end. Marinas have now become active venues rendering service to groups with ample potential. Even though it is experienced in a limited number of marinas in our country, this progress is announced on the international platform through promotion campaigns contributing to the demand towards our country."

"It will be possible to get a greater slice of the cake provided that facilities at desired standards are established for the cruise tourism in Turkey."

Ali Erkan Bezirgan, pointing to the fact that cruise tourism has the greatest upward trend within the global tourism movement, mentioned that the opportunity to get a bigger slice from the cake can be created with the establishment of facilities at desired standards in a short while in Turkey. Expressing that they, as the Marine Tourism Association, will try to settle the issues experienced in the marine tourism through cooperation with related institutions Bezirgan added: "And as the maritime tourism industry in all our relations with the state institutions we should give our assistance to maintaining a treatment in a way to protect the reputation of our state, completing processes – that are required by laws - properly, rapidly and in a short time, ensuring a righteous control over the industry by public institutions, carrying out endeavors to increase international competitive power of the sector and creating a working environment based on mutual trust and respect with public institutions."

For further information: LOBBY Public Relations – Tuba Güven SARAL

Tel: (+90 212) 284 63 63 – (+90) 533 233 99 08