Turkey is at the forefront when it comes to a sustainable tourism strategy. In the further development of a more sustainable offer and diversification of the product, the tourism sector in Turkey wants to work closely with the Dutch travel industry. This is an important outcome of the so-called High-level Meeting of a Dutch delegation led by the ANVR and more than 20 tourism partners in Turkey. The three-day meeting, initiated by the Turkish Tourist Board and the ANVR, took place last weekend in Izmir. The five-star hotel Club Marvy was the setting for the ‘Izmir Summit’. The three-day program consisted of exploring the destination and a full-day meeting where views and experiences were exchanged. The Dutch delegation, led by ANVR director Frank Oostdam, consisted of Arjan Kers (TUI), Günay Uslu (Corendon), Floor van der Zee (Corendon), Maarten van Os (Prijsvrij/D-reizen), Gert-Jan Bressers (ANWB/Fox) and Martine de Knoop (The Travel Club). 
Photo: Frank Oostdam (ANVR) and Pinar Bilgen (director of the Turkish Tourist Board of the Netherlands). The Turkish delegation included suppliers from all sectors of tourism, from airports to airlines and hotels. In addition, there was a strong representation from the Ministry of Tourism and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion & Development Agency (TGA), a public-private partnership between the government and the tourism sector. In short presentations, it was explained which sustainable initiatives are already being successfully implemented in Turkish tourism. And there are a lot of them, because all entrepreneurs and all parts of the tourism sector are included in the government’s policy. Lid Turkey wants to take a leading role in the transition to a sustainable tourism offer, stated Ismail Bütün, General Manager of TGA. Sustainability is therefore number 1 on the agenda of the organization that promotes Turkish tourism worldwide. The TGA takes sustainability extremely seriously, which is why Turkey now has the most certified hotels according to the standard of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). ‘What Turkey is doing in the field of sustainability is state of the art, with one million certified hotel beds,’ says ANVR foreman Oostdam. ‘We can only roll out something like this further together.’ 
Photo: the Turkish and Dutch delegation members. Although Turkey is known for its all-inclusive resorts, the country aims to be more than a resort destination. In other words, the country wants to show that it has more to offer than sun, sea and sand. This means a much-needed and far-reaching diversification of the offer. So more attention for active holidays such as cycling trips (according to experts, the Izmir region is a cycling paradise), culture and gastronomy. Regarding the latter, Turkey has a lot to offer, with 111 restaurants touted as hidden gems in the 2024 Michelin Guide. This diversity in the offer can play an important role in attracting new segments of tourists. ‘I didn’t expect Turkey to be so progressive,’ says Arjan Kers, managing director of TUI Netherlands and Belgium. ‘This is an example for many other destinations.’ Soon an extensive report in TravMagazine. Photo (from left to right): Maarten van Os (Prijsvrij/D-reizen), Frank Oostdam (ANVR), Gert-Jan Bressers (ANWB/Fox), Pinar Bilgen (Turkish Tourist Board), Günay Uslu (Corendon), Arjan Kers (TUI),) Floor van der Zee (Corendon) and Martine de Knoop (The Travel Club).
