TBy - S&M Publication ltd

NEWS LINE TURKEY INCENTIVE MAGAZINE
Turkey's First Sea-View Golf Course to Open in September
LykiaLinksGolf, which is designed
by the world famous architect
Perry O. Dye for the Lykia Group in
Antalya and is Turkey's first golf
course with a sea view, will be
opened in September. The group,
which invested 60 million euros in
the golf course and LykiaWorld
Antalya Hotel that is still under
construction, will open the hotel in
June. The Lykia Group held a press conference, attended by the world
famous architect Perry Dye, to introduce LykiaLinksGolf. Dye, who noted
that he was a third-generation member of a family that designed nearly 300
golf courses around the world, said, “LykiaLinksGolf is a very important
investment for Turkey because there is no such facility in the
Mediterranean. I expect that this golf course will be one of the best 100 golf
courses in the world. I accepted Lykia Group's proposal without any hesitation
because the project made me excited. Believe me that even my
father did not design such a golf course .” He said the golf course would be
opened in September, adding that they expected that 3,000-5,000 games
would be played during the 2007 season. Lykia Group Executive Board
Chairman Burhan Silahtaroglu said, “We, as a group, have initiated many
things. We brought a hot air balloon to Cappadocia and caused paragliding
to spread in Fethiye. Now we plan to establish a big library. That's why we
ask our customers to leave their books. We already have 1,500 books but
our Turkish customers have so far left only four books.” Silahtaroglu said
there would be sections for everyone's pleasure in LykiaWorld Antalya
Hotel, adding, “In line with the hotel's architectural structure, our guests
will be able to spend their night in one of five or six places. It will be hard
for people even to see each other in the 1,200-person capacity hotel.” He
said the group's turnover was 24 million euros in 2006, and that with the
new facilities, the group's bed capacity would reach 4,100. He said they
would employ 800 more people with those investments.
Bursa Bird Paradise on Sale
The owner of the "bird paradise" in north-western city of Bursa's
Karacabey town has put the paradise on sale. The "bird paradise" has
more than 1,000 birds from 50 different species. Owner Mustafa Bilgic said
that he dedicated his life to the birds, trees and plants in the paradise for
the past 35 years. "In 1972, I arrived at Uluabat Lake near Karacabey and
noticed that the people living there were not much concerned about the
environment and its protection. Having seen the damage caused by the residents
at the Uluabat Lake, I decided to establish a 'bird paradise'," said
Bilgic. Bilgic underlined that "after purchasing a land near the Uluabat
Lake, I decided to create a 'bird paradise'. I have sacrificed a lot to preserve
the paradise. I received bad treatment from some people...my trees were
cut and I got beaten at times." "My wife and I expected to receive support
by the government and people living in the region. But no one noticed or
paid attention to what we established. We welcomed many people, including
Polish, Dutch and French visitors at the paradise. Having not received
any support from the government, I decided to sell the paradise," stressed
Bilgic. Bilgic has not announced the price he wants for his "bird paradise"
yet.
Bid for Golf Courses and Hotels in Didim
Three companies have applied for the allocation
of golf courses and hotels around Didim.
Three companies applied for the lands allocated
by Ministry of Tourism for building a
golf course and five hotels. There were no
applications for the other provinces (Isparta,
Izmir- Çesme, Kars, Kayseri, Usak and
Yozgat) in which allotments were made by the ministry for touristic purposes.
It attracted attention that all the three applications were for Didim. The
names of the applicant companies and their bids have not been disclosed.
It was stated that the results of the bids, which were submitted to the ministry
by closed envelope open tender, would soon be announced.
14 [[
Belek to Offer More Golf Pleasure for Tourists
APRIL’07
The Mediterranean
coastal town of Belek is
not only a popular and
enchanting holiday
resort but also an ideal
place for year round golf
tourism. Six new hotels
and four golf clubs are
planned for the area at
the end of the year.
Belek Tourism Investors Union (BETUYAP) Director General Sami Türker
Orçun said no more land was available in Belek to be utilized for tourism
purposes and the areas in which new holiday accommodations and golf
clubs are to be constructed were allocated a few years ago. He said six new
hotels would be built, adding, “There are currently six golf clubs in Belek
and four more golf clubs will be opened this year. Belek will thus be converted
into a tourism resort with hotels along the seaside and surrounded
by golf clubs with green fields behind the hotels.” Emphasizing the fact that
these kinds of new investments had a positive contribution on employment,
Orçun said the projected establishments would also increase the number
of tourists coming to the district. He said promotion was essential and as
the union they participated in important international fairs and planned a
series of workshops in Germany and Russia. Meanwhile, while the occupancy
rate in 21 hotels, which were open in January, became 46.3 percent,
some hotels even increased their occupancy rate to 93 percent. Belek
attracted 830,494 visitors in 2006 including 603,089 foreign and 227,405
domestic tourists, luring most visitors from Russia with 208, 930 followed
by Germany with 180,047. While June, July and August were the favorite
months for Russian tourists; German tourists came to the area mostly in
April, May and October. Overall 35 hotels with a total 34,700-bed capacity
are currently operating in Belek and this number will increase with the
opening of six new hotels, which will have a total bed capacity of 7,200.
Golf in Belek:
With the opening of four golf clubs, there will be 10 golf clubs in Belek by
the end of the year. Tourists played golf nearly 1.4 million times between
1995-2006, while last year around 55,000 tourists played 220,123 times.
March, April and November were the most popular months for golf
tourism. A true paradise for tourists on the shore of the Mediterranean in
the midst of pine forests, Belek is one of the most prominent and popular
centers of Turkey's tourism industry and is as such home to around 35
four-star or five-star hotels as well as many other accommodation, services
and entertainment facilities. Belek is a developing golf center in Turkey.
In planning the golf courses, architects took into account the preferences
and expectations of European golfers. In Belek, the perfectly landscaped
golf courses present a wonderful panorama while providing golfers with
excellent competition.
There are daily, even hourly tours from all resorts and holiday villages near
the golf courses and bookings are available via these tours and clubs. The
golf courses and temperate climate enable individuals and groups to play
throughout the year. Records show over 300 days of sunshine annually for
the region. The Kursunlu Waterfall is a place worth visiting in Belek. The
hidden cave at the back of the waterfall is a popular place for visiting. Near
Belek there is the Hellenistic city of Perge and the great amphitheater of
Aspendos that can still hold over 15,000 spectators. Belek is also a bird
paradise and there are over 100 species of bird living there.
German Die Welt Praises Night Life in Istanbul
The German newspaper Die Welt published an article on Istanbul March 10
and praised its night life. Aside from historical and touristic attractions,
Istanbul is an important city that provides exciting night life, said Die Welt.
"Istanbul is a city often visited for its palaces, mosques and museums.
However, it is a city that could be labelled as a city of parties, concerts and
fashion." Meanwhile, Turkish tourism authorities in Berlin kicked off a publicity
campaign whereby public buses in Berlin and in some other German
cities are carrying colorful ads of Turkey .