VisitBenidorm and Hosbec organize the first business and institutional mission to Antalya (Turkey) together with Costa Blanca and Turismo Comunitat Valenciana

Exploring the launching of tourism in the Turkish region of Antalya, which is one of the main competing destinations for Spanish tourism in the European market, is one of the objectives of the business and institutional mission organized by VisitBenidorm and Hosbec.

The delegation consists of 11 businessmen and tourism professionals and is headed by the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez and the president of Hosbec, Toni Mayor, the director of VisitBenidorm Foundation, Leire Bilbao, the director of the Costa Blanca board, José Mancebo and the marketing director of Turismo Comunitat Valenciana, Carmen Sahuquillo, also attend.

The work agenda has two clear aims: an institutional one in which meetings will be held with the governor of the province of Antalya, Münir Karaloglu, and the director of AntalyaTurismo İbrahim Acar. It is also scheduled the visit to the mayor of the city of Antalya, Menderes Türel and the president of Aktob, the hotel business association Erkan Yagci.

On the business side, meetings are planned with those responsible for the main British tour operators operating in the area, as well as visits to 6 hotels in the area. This business and institutional mission to Turkey is a goal that both Hosbec and VisitBenidorm have been working on for many years, even before the tourist crisis triggered by the "Arab spring" that closed the country to European tourists in 2010.

In 2018 an important reactivation of Turkish tourism was detected, especially in the British market, being the main competition of Spanish sun and beach destinations such as the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and the Costa Blanca-Benidorm. To this is added a monetary crisis that ends with a major devaluation of the Turkish lira that has lost half of its value in the last year. While at the end of 2016 a sterling pound was exchanged for less than 4 Turkish lira, at this time the rate is 1libra = 8l.

The future growth projections of the market continue in spectacular figures: according to the data handled by BigdataHosbec (sales closed as of August 31) Turkey has sold almost 1 million tourist packages to the British, growing 70% on 2017 data.

Antalya with 370,000 packages sold and a growth of 91% for the summer 2018 has already exceeded in sales figures to Benidorm which accumulates 310,000 for the same dates and with a growth of a shy 1%.