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R15-19-03-08.qxd 16.03.2008 21:35 Page 1FEATUREMARCH 19-22, 2008TODAY’S TOURISM15850,000 will visit Manavgat Waterfall in 2008ABDURRAHMAN BÜYÜKKESKÝN ANTALYASome 850,000 foreign and domestictourists are expected to visit theManavgat Waterfall in the summerof 2008. Local authorities in Sarýlardistrict, home to the waterfall, have recentlylaunched a campaign to attractgreater number of tourists to the area.Activities to promote the waterfall aretabled for Berlin, Moscow, Bucharest,Oslo and London tourism fairs. Notingthat 547,000 tourists visited Manavgat in2007, Sarýlar Mayor Mustafa Erkan Ersoysaid they were expecting 850,000 guestsfrom 42 countries this year following intensifiedpromotional activities. The citywill start the new summer season on April 1.Speaking to Today's Tourism, Ersoynoted that the majority of the tourists arrivingin Turkey in January and Februarywere from Germany, the Netherlands,Belgium, Britain, Italy, France,Switzerland and Scandinavia. Noting thatthere had been a steady decline in thenumber of visitors since 2004, Ersoy saidthey were seeking to reverse this trendthrough active promotion and renovation."Now people recall a city of tourismwhen they hear the name ManavgatWaterfall. Snapshots taken at Manavgatadorn many houses in Europe. ManavgatWaterfall is the symbol of our city at localand international tourism fairs," he noted.The mayor added that the tenderprocess for the construction of new facilitiesat the waterfall has now been completedand that they would now proceedwith determining rates applicable for thefacilities. Tekin Baþoðlu, head of operationsat the waterfall, said Mondays,Thursdays and Sundays were the busiestdays in terms of visits, and added thatthey host 5,000 visitors every day on averagethroughout June, July and August.German rock musician Michael Scholt,who arrived in Turkey on holiday alongwith his vocalist friend Diana Nelkecd, saidthey would come again to see the waterfalland give a concert on June 17.Meanwhile, tourism operators inManavgat are preparing to attract a greaternumber of tourists from Europe. The Side-Manavgat Tourism Businesses Association(Side-TUDER), which has already rampedup its promotional activities, seeks to attract3 million tourists to Manavgat in 2008.Noting that they have launched a promotionalcampaign in Europe, Scandinavia,the Baltic countries, the Russian Federation,the Turkic republics and the Balkans, Side-TUDER President Cengiz Haydar Barut saidtheir association would hold additional activitiesin Bulgaria, Romania, the CzechRepublic, Slovenia, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo,Slovakia and Hungary in March."Manavgat attracts a great deal of attentionat international fairs. We have seen thisgrowing interest and attention most recentlyin Prague. Tourists who have visited thecity once make the best promotion of atourism city. Tourists particularly admire thenatural and historic beauty in the nearbyancient city of Side. I believe that the 2008tourism season will be great. We will continueto hold promotional activities inTirana, Sofia, Prague, Ljubljana, Budapestand Bucharest to attract greater number oftourists from the Balkan region," he noted.Barut added that they have also set thegoal of establishing a 12-month-longtourism season in the region, keeping itshotels open throughout the winter.Noting that 547,000tourists visited Manavgatin 2007, Sarýlar MayorMustafa Erkan Ersoysays they were expecting850,000 guests from42 countries in 2008,following intensifiedpromotionalactivities.PHOTO ABDURRAHMAN BUYUKKESKIN