The 6th Antalya Tourism Fair (ATF 2024), taking place at the Antalya International Fair and Congress Centre, is welcoming both local and international tourism professionals. Speaking at the fair, Ataoğlu explained to the AA that events like these play a crucial role in promoting tourism, and they seize every opportunity to participate.
Emphasising tourism’s importance to the TRNC, Ataoğlu noted that, much like in Turkey, the sector in the TRNC is steadily developing and attracting guests from around the world. He shared that the government has made substantial investments to diversify and enhance the country’s tourism offerings and that they are exploring alternative tourism models.
Seeking Greater Investment and Tourism From Turkey
Ataoğlu further noted that tourism investments in the TRNC are growing each year. He expressed a particular interest in attracting Turkish investors, saying, “Investors from many countries are contributing here, but we would like to see more Turkish investors. After all, we share the same language, religion, and currency”.
Highlighting the strength of Turkish enterprises in tourism, Ataoğlu explained that the TRNC government offers various incentives to Turkish investors in the sector. The Ministry, he noted, carefully considers investment proposals to ensure long-term commitment to the country.
He added, “When an investor builds a hotel and later sells it to leave, we view this differently. But there are those who keep expanding—building a second, a third, or even an eighth hotel. This demonstrates what an attractive country we are for investment. The presence of Turkish investors strengthens us. As long as we support each other, we remain strong and resilient”.
Ataoğlu concluded by extending an invitation to Turkish citizens, saying, “To our brothers in Turkey, we say: there is an island here, and it belongs to us all. Just as we defended it during the Peace Operation in 1974, let’s come together today to preserve and support this island”.
