Automotive August 2021

of a very important event like Formula 1,
which we expected to lead to a revival in
terms of both the number of tourists and
positive perception, was disappointing.
But we were hopeful that it would be
held in Turkey again. As a matter of fact, it
happened.”
“Whether it is with or without an audience,
it will give morale to the sector,” she added.
“If there is an audience, it will further
have a positive effect on hotel occupancy,”
Eresin said, adding that this will also
have a positive impact on the meetings,
incentives, conferences and exhibitions
(MICE) industry which organizes
congresses, meetings, fairs and events
“that we did not expect to revive before
the end of the year.”
Hagia Sofia Mansions Curio Collections by
Hilton General Manager Ahmet Arslan,
meanwhile, said that the return of the race
to the country has provided the industry a
morale boost.
Describing F1 as one of the most
prestigious competitions in the world,
Arslan said, “This event makes a great
contribution to the hotels of every
country. Because both the teams and the
technical team go to the place where the
competition will take place about 20 days
before the event. An average of 100 rooms
is reserved for a team. Usually, 5-star hotels
are preferred. Also, many global channels
follow the competition. For example, the
owner of a large company brings the best
30 business partners and welcomes them
to the best hotels, renting helicopters to
the race. This profile spends an average of
5,000 euros in three days.”
Ibrahim Halil Korkmaz, CEO of MOLTON
Hotels, echoed others in the industry,
calling F1 an incredible motivator for the
industry.
Explaining that hotels that are currently
closed will open their doors during this
period, Korkmaz said, “with the high
vaccination numbers, we started to see a
movement in the tourism sector. Russian
and German tourists started to flock into
the country, again.”
However, they mostly go to coastal
provinces, so organizations like this one
help metropolis hotels get their fair share
of business.
Istanbul was listed in April as a replacement
for Canada’s canceled June grand prix,
only to drop off again due to travel
restrictions, with a majority of the teams
based in Britain.Turkey is on the British
government’s “red list” of countries that
require 10 days of hotel quarantine for
returning travelers.
However, organizers confirmed that they
will make a second attempt to hold the
Turkish Grand Prix after adding it as a
replacement for Singapore’s canceled race
in October Singapore’s Oct. 1-3 night race
was canceled earlier this month because
of immigration restrictions related to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Vural Ak, chairperson
of Istanbul circuit operator Intercity who
brought F1 to Turkey last year after a nineyear
hiatus, said that nearly 4,000 race
teams will come to Turkey for the Turkish
Grand Prix, with nearly 450 large trucks and
seven to eight jumbo trucks.
He added that materials will be transported
by jet cargo plane.
“We expect 15-16,000 foreign visitors.
Tourists will stay in the nearby hotels, and if
you take into account their food, beverage
and shopping expenditures, they will have
left a foreign currency income of around
100 million euros to our country,” he said.
The event will be held in Istanbul Park on
Oct. 1-3. Many of the closed hotels in the
metropolis are set to open their doors on
the occasion. The teams are to arrive 20
days before the race to their hotels mostly
located in Tuzla and Istanbul’s Anatolian
side initially, though tourism professionals
say all of Istanbul hotels will get their share
during race week.
63 August 2021