Thursday, July 31, 2014

Turkey's tourism renaissance - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Turkey's tourism renaissance

Revitalizing Turkey’s tourism sector was one of the major achievements of late Prime Minister Turgut Ozal, the man who dominated Turkish politics in the 1980s. Ozal, who would often make public appearances clad in shorts and a T-shirt, sped up investment in the tourism sector at a time when Turkey was toiling to sustain its fragile economy, unaware that its natural beauty, history, sea and sunshine could be also marketed. Driven by the build-operate-transfer model and lucrative incentives, five-star hotels and holiday villages sprang up on Turkey’s coasts. “Industry without chimneys” became the memorable slogan of the sector.

More:Turkey's tourism renaissance - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East