We Bring Tourism Leaders Together Bulut Bağcı President, World Tourism Forum e are a group engaged in 14 years, have strengthened Turkish let us all be friends for once, Let us civil society activities under tourism enormously. We were elated make life easy on us, Let us be lovers W the umbrella of the Young to have 123 speakers and an audience and loved ones, The earth shall be Tourism Leaders Association since of 5,000 with us in the second global left to no one.” Getting to know each 2008, aiming to develop tourism in meeting we held at Istanbul Lütfi other will help us solve our problems Turkey and increase the youth’s con- Kırdar International Convention and more easily as emphasized by the tribution to it. Inspired by the annual Exhibition Center on February 4-6, poet. Once we get acquainted, we World Economic Forum held in Davos, 2016. This event marked a first since would neither hold grudges nor hate Switzerland, we decided to create a there is no other event of compa- each other. The best way to do this is platform recognized by global tourism rable scale and scope worldwide. I through increasing cooperation level authorities where industry leaders would like to state my gratitude to in tourism. Today Turkey ranks sixth from all around the world can discuss our guests from the United Kingdom, most popular tourist destination in tourism strategies and we kicked off France, United Arab Emirates, United the world. In 2014, we surpassed a 1 the World Tourism Forum last year. States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, China, threshold of 40 million international There isn’t any branded tourism Azerbaijan, Ghana and others for their guests. Appealing to potential markets summit in the world. For this reason, support and sharing their experiences. through not only coastal tourism but we decided to establish a platform I hope these meetings will serve as a also medical, convention, culture, in 2014 and started World Tourism reference point for the future of global nature and gastronomy tourism ac- Forum in 2015. Despite of being a tourism and inspire all tourism author- tivities, Turkey is about to undertake very young platform, World Tourism ities from now on. huge steps in the Turkish tourism in- Forum has received a big potential. In Unfortunately, we are going through dustry in the medium and long term. order to receive our achievement for a period of incomparable suering. I believe that the second WTF will being a worldwide-accepted tourism Right next to us a huge refugee drama proceed in its way in the coming years platform, we are working hard. With continues to unfold. Similarly, terror through a snowball effect. a platform like World Tourism Forum, feeds on unemployment, poverty, 2016 is a quite important year for us, we will designate global tourism and despair in the Middle East. Young since we have seen the World Tourism strategies with the tourism leaders. minds, which should have been Forum extend beyond Turkey’s bor- Our ideal is to contribute in world shaped with the ancient cultures of ders. The “The World Tourism Forum peace with the connective strength of the Middle East, are being drawn into Qatar Summit” to be held in Doha in tourism. a swamp of terror. At this junction, October will bring Gulf States together. For recent 14 years, there have we need to shoulder responsibility And we will hold our Mediterranean been many progresses in Turkey in as young tourism leaders because meeting in Antalya, one of Turkey’s terms of tourism. Turkey is in the 6th tourism plays a crucial role in training, major tourist centers before the end place among the most popular tourist developing and employing the youth of the year. Finally, I would like to destinations in the world. In 2014, in the medium and long term. express my gratitude to especially Turkey has crossed the line of 40 Our philosophy at the World H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President million foreign visitors. We are taking Tourism Forum is based on two funda- of the Republic of Turkey, as well as firm steps towards our 2023 targets. mental concepts: peace and cooper- Mr. Mehmet Şimşek, Deputy Prime For being not only a coastal tourism ation. Establishing bridges between Minister, Mr. Mahir Ünal, Minister of country, Turkey also penetrates into cultures, religions, and nations as well Culture and Tourism, Mr. José Manuel health, congress, nature and gastron- as bringing people together since its Barroso, Former President of the omy tourisms. Turkey takes consid- advent, tourism has an undeniable European Commission and Başaran erable steps in terms of tourism. It impact on global peace. The great Ulusoy, President of the Association of can be easily seen from the statistics, folk poet Yunus Emre put it succinctly Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), for investments, which were made in last as early as the 13th Century: “Come, lending their full invaluable support. SPECIAL ASSESSMENT REPORT Taleb D. Rifai | Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 2 Taleb D. Rifai Secretary-General, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) 015 marked the sixth consecutive in tourism and related infrastructure year of growth for the tourism and services. Parallel to this process, 2 sector. According to the latest tourism should be prioritized at the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, highest political level at national and international tourist arrivals grew by international levels so that its potential 4.4% last year to reach a total of 1,184 can be capitalized. million, some 50 million more tour- As stated by Premier Li Kegiang ists than in 2014. UNWTO forecasts of China last May opening the Fist international tourist arrivals to grow World Conference on Tourism for by another 4% worldwide in 2016 and Development in Beijing the role to continue its upward trend to reach - Goals 8, 12 and 14. The SDGs particu- of tourism in fighting poverty and 1.8 billion international tourist arrivals larly highlight the capacity of the sec- building peace and the importance of by 2030. tor to contribute to economic growth, stepping up international cooperation But besides these impressive num- job creation sustainable consumption in tourism needs to be emphasized. bers, we should recall tourism’s in- Tourism’s capacity to stimulate eco- and production (SCP) and the con- creasing role as a driver of sustainable nomic growth, create jobs and foster servation and sustainable use of the development and the building of better inclusive development is of tremen- oceans, seas and marine resources. future for all. dous impact and therefore, higher In this context, as the world looks Tourism represents today nearly commitment of the international 10% of global GDP (direct, indirect and to strengthen the foundations of the community towards the sector should induced impacts considered), one out global economy and set up in a new be reached. of eleven jobs and 7% of global trade. development path, tourism can be As we celebrate the adoption of 2017 Moreover, tourism is increasing rele- one of the building blocks of the 2030 as the International Year of Sustainable vant for developing countries, where it Agenda for Sustainable Development. Tourism for Development, I trust that is often among the first export sectors. We are, therefore, at an unprece- the efforts of all actors engaged in the It is thus not a coincidence that tour- dented momentum to increase the sector as well as the commitment of ism is included in the 2030 Sustainable support to the sector in terms devel- so many world leaders will finally give Development Agenda in three of the oping appropriate policies but also tourism the position it deserves so that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mobilize private sector investment its potential can be fully maximized. ICONIC HOTELS IN ICONIC PLACES ICONICICONIC HOTELS HOTELS IN INICONIC ICONIC PLACES PLACES Captured on iPhone CapturedCaptured on oniPhone iPhone AN EFFORTLESS ELEGANCE A GRAND ENTRANCE. THE WARMEST ANWELCOME.AN EFFORTLESS EFFORTLESS A RICHNESS OF TEXTURE. ELEGANCE ELEGANCE A ALIGHTNESS GRAND ENTRANCE. OF SPIRIT. THE A SENSE WARMEST OF STYLE. AHOTEL GRAND PRINCIPE ENTRANCE. DI SAVOIA. THE WARMEST WELCOME.WELCOME. A ARICHNESS RICHNESS OF OF TEXTURE. TEXTURE. A ALIGHTNESS LIGHTNESS OF OF SPIRIT. SPIRIT. A ASENSE SENSE OF OF STYLE. STYLE. HOTELHOTEL PRINCIPE PRINCIPE DI DI SAVOIA. SAVOIA. MILAN I +39 02 62301 I DORCHESTERCOLLECTION.COM MILANMILAN I I+39 +39 02 02 62301 62301 I IDORCHESTERCOLLECTION DORCHESTERCOLLECTION.COM.COM H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President of the Republic of Turkey 4 H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan President of the Republic of Turkey Walking towards the Future H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President of the Republic of crossroads of civilizations. Turkey, stated in his speech at the closing session of the We need to emphasize and analyze Turkey’s success in these areas in World Tourism Forum at Lütfi Kırdar Convention Center recent years. The achievements in tour- that the term "smokeless industry", used interchangeably ism have not occurred by themselves. Turkey’s silent revolution and success for tourism, showed its first concrete results during their stories it created in all areas form the term in office reminding that the number of foreign guests backdrop of such achievements. These achievements are built on thousands of visiting Turkey was only 13 million back in 2002. kilometers of divided highways, high- speed train lines, 55 airports all around the country, and Turkish Airlines, which has now become a global brand. his number rose to 36,244,000 all about beaches on the Mediterranean Turkey had 26 airports when we first by the end of 2015. The tourism and Aegean coasts, or Istanbul itself. took office.