VZCZCXRO8841
PP RUEHDA
DE RUEHAK #0622/01 0781029
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 191029Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1371
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
INFO RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2349
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 1759

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 000622 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITVE 
SIPDIS 
 
Treasury for International Affairs - JRose 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON TU
SUBJECT: TURKS ANTICIPATE BANNER TOURISM YEAR 
 
REF: (A) Ankara 4953 (B) Ankara 4493 (C) Ankara 1105 
(D) Ankara 1460 
 
 
¶1.   (SBU) SUMMARY:  On the heels of dashed 
expectations for tourism in 2006, Turkish officials 
expressed confidence that tourist arrivals for 2007 
would surpass the record 21.1 million set in 2005. To 
attract more tourists from North and South America, the 
Government of Turkey (GOT) has invested millions in a 
multi-media campaign touting religious and health 
tourism.  Convinced that Turkey has moved beyond the 
negative images affecting tourism in 2006, notably the 
wave of bombings in tourist areas of western Turkey, 
Turkish officials expect over 600,000 Americans to 
visit this year.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
SO FAR, SO GOOD FOR 2007 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) Despite a 6.5% decline in tourist arrivals in 
2006, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MOT) contacts 
voiced optimism over the prospects for 2007. 
Predicting a record-setting year, MOT Director General 
for Marketing Ozgur Ozaslan estimated Turkey would 
welcome more than 21 million visitors in 2007, besting 
the 21.1 million who visited in 2005, and easily 
exceeding the 19.8 million arrivals of 2006.  Ozaslan 
pointed to a combined 16% increase in arrivals for 
January and February, compared to the preceding year 
for the same period, as evidence of the upward trend. 
 
¶3. (SBU) At first dismissive of the possibility of a 
repeat wave of PKK terrorist bombings like the ones 
that struck the tourist towns of Marmaris and Cesme in 
2006, Ozaslan later acknowledged last year's attacks 
seemed specifically designed to maximize damage to the 
tourism sector by striking tourist areas during the 
summer/fall high season, adding that "terrorism can 
strike anywhere at anytime."  According to Ozaslan, the 
MOT estimates that approximately one million tourists 
stayed away from Turkey from September to December 2006 
due to the bombings.  The "Kurdistan Freedom Falcons" 
(TAK), the name under which the PKK conducts its 
attacks in western Turkey, has recently issued another 
warning to foreign tourists to stay away.  If so, the 
increase in tourist arrivals could be jeopardized. 
 
----------------------------------------- 
MESSAGE TO AMERICANS: TURKEY WELCOMES YOU 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The MOT recently launched a $5.6 million 
marketing campaign targeting tourists from North and 
South America.  "Turkey Welcomes You" is the title of 
the 45-page colorful guide highlighting the country's 
2,000 thermal springs, natural alternative medicine 
centers, historic churches and synagogues, and numerous 
archeological sites.  Although tourists from the 
Americas represent only five percent of total visitors 
to Turkey, Ozaslan confirmed they outspend their 
European counterparts, stay longer in country, and 
generally opt for culture tourism over cheaper packaged 
"sun tours" popular with many Europeans.  Ozaslan 
played for us two television commercials produced for 
American audiences that will air on CNN and network 
television during high profile regular programming such 
as "House," "Desperate Housewives," and "Lost," and 
displayed various print ads set to appear in The New 
York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and 
over thirty travel and lifestyle magazines. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ozaslan noted that before the events of 9/11, 
more than 515,000 Americans vacationed in Turkey 
annually.  Encouraged by the 22% increase in American 
tourists who visited in 2006, the MOT expects over 
600,000 Americans to visit Turkey this year. The debut 
of the temporary Turkish village at Disneyworld's 
Epcott Center in late 2006 proved enormously 
successful.  Unable to provide exact numbers for the 3- 
month run at Epcott, MOT officials estimated roughly 
30,000 thousand people a day passed through the exhibit 
which featured Turkish foods and products and displayed 
cultural highlights of Istanbul and Cappadocia. 
Describing as "cost-prohibitive" the apparent 20 
million USD price tag for maintaining a permanent spot 
 
ANKARA 00000622  002 OF 002 
 
 
at Epcott, MOT officials nevertheless look forward to 
sponsoring a 3-month exhibit again this year. 
 
------------------- 
YEAR OF THE MEVLANA 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In coordination with the three Turkish Culture 
and Tourism Offices operating in the United States 
(Washington DC, New York, and Los Angeles), the MOT 
plans to sponsor a number of cultural events in major 
US cities in 2007, including Chicago, San Francisco, 
and Miami, to celebrate UNESCO's "Year of the Mevlana," 
in commemoration of the 800th anniversary of the birth 
of Mevlana Jelaladdin Rumi, the 13th century Turkish 
philosopher and mystical poet of Islam.  MOT officials 
acknowledged contract negotiations were underway for 
Dr. Deepak Chopra, a former figure in the 
Transcendental Meditation Movement, to produce a 90- 
minute documentary film about Rumi, possible narrators 
include Hollywood celebrities Demi Moore and Antonio 
Banderas. 
 
--------------------- 
2023 Tourism Strategy 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Unveiled recently at a Turkish tourism summit 
in the resort city of Antalya, the MOT's "2023 Tourism 
Strategy," is a 52-page roadmap to development of niche 
tourism (religious, health, and golf), infrastructure 
improvements, and regional "tourism cities."  A Tourism 
Ministry official responsible for city and regional 
planning saw major potential in the development of golf 
tourism.  He said the island of Majorca has more golf 
courses than all of Turkey, despite Turkey's natural 
attributes for golf tourism (long season, tourist 
infrastructure).  He also lamented that Majorca has 
more yacht marinas than all of Turkey, despite Turkey's 
long coastline.  Turkish tourism officials also hope to 
develop more religious tourism, capitalizing on the 
Pope's recent visit and the abundance of important 
sites for Christianity, Judaism and Islam. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Although the Council of Ministers signed off 
on the "2023 Tourism Strategy," MOT's Deputy General 
for Business and Development Savas Bozdu confirmed that 
there is currently no budget for implementing any of 
the short-term or long-term strategies identified in 
the plan.  Tourism revenues constitute approximately 
five percent of GNP, are an important source of new 
employment, and also help finance Turkey's large trade 
deficit. Speaking at the summit, however, Prime 
Minister Erdogan emphasized the importance of viewing 
tourism in political and cultural terms, not just as a 
source of revenue for Turkey, noting "tourism brings 
the people of the world together and contributes to 
world peace." 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶9. (SBU) The substantial increase in tourist arrivals 
at the outset of 2007 is encouraging given the 
disappointing overall numbers for last year.  Although 
confident 2007 will be a record-setting year for 
tourism, MOT officials' projections are based on 
certain assumptions, mainly the absence of any PKK 
attacks targeting tourist areas and the lack of 
controversy surrounding Turkey's upcoming presidential 
and parliamentary elections.  The GOT's decision to 
increase by $4 million USD the marketing budget for the 
Americas demonstrates a genuine commitment to attract 
more Americans tourists.