Professional Hotel Managers Association Bodrum Representative and Bodrium Hotel & SPA General Manager Yiğit Girgin said that tourism in Bodrum, which has an important place among international tourism destinations, should be diversified and the season should be spread over 12 months.
Underlining that Bodrum has a very valuable historical heritage, not only with its hotels, service sector and entertainment life, but also with its roots in history, Girgin pointed out that tourism is possible 12 months of the year by highlighting these values.
Noting that Bodrum has much more than the sea, sand and sun triangle that first comes to mind when it comes to tourism, Yiğit Girgin said, “Bodrum is home to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Just restoring this mausoleum and bringing it to the city will attract the attention of the world. As an institution that attaches importance to local values and our cultural heritage, we display a replica of the Halicarnassus Mausoleum for our guests in the lobby of our hotel. Its architecture reflecting the Aegean culture, the structure of its people, olive oil, vineyards, lavender fields brought to the city by the municipality, and local delicacies are the important advantages of our city. The world's largest underwater museum is also exhibited in Bodrum Castle. "We host our guests 12 months of the year in Bodrium, located on Alexander the Great Street next to the historical Myndos gate, where Alexander the Great, who has an important place in history, is said to have entered the city," he said.
WE HAD A QUICK START TO THE SEASON
Noting that holidaymakers from both the domestic market and abroad have revived the market in Bodrum as of April, Yiğit Girgin said: “With the positive atmosphere following the local elections held in a democratic environment, there is also activity in the sector. In April, with the effect of the 9-day Ramadan holiday and the start of international flights, there was high occupancy in Bodrum, especially in hotels along the coastline. Our citizens, who stayed in their own homes other than the hotel, also came to Bodrum and made the tradesmen happy. We can understand this from the population growth in the city and the circulation in the market. The revival of the city's economy is a pleasing development for all of us. The necessary arrangements and work to spread this throughout the year should be made with the cooperation of all actors of the city. Our preparations for the 2024 season are complete, and our morale is high as a sector. "It is possible to reach the target of 60 million tourists and 60 billion dollars of tourism, announced by our Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy," he said.
THERE ARE HOLIDAY OPTIONS FOR EVERY BUDGET
Emphasizing that there are accommodation options with different price alternatives in Bodrum, Girgin continued his words as follows: “There are bed and breakfast accommodation options in Bodrum starting from 500 TL per person. Prices vary depending on personal preferences and the service offered by the hotel. Those who want to have a holiday can choose a suitable alternative. As I always say, it is possible to find accommodation at reasonable prices during the entry and exit months of the season. Currently, the exchange rate is following a stable course. But it is expected to rise again towards the summer months. Currently, tight monetary policy continues to be implemented in the economy. It will take time to see the effects of this. The foreign exchange must maintain a balanced course at a certain level for the tourism sector. We provide employment, generate significant income and bring in foreign currency for our country. "If nothing goes wrong, we can say that we will reach 100 percent occupancy in the summer season."
THE 'EXPENSIVE CITY' IMAGE DOES NOT REFLECT THE REALITY
Yiğit Girgin said that Bodrum offers different accommodation and food and beverage alternatives together and that some tabloid news created the image of 'Bodrum as an expensive city' and added that the tourism sector, which stands out with Bodrum's unique beauties and rich cultural heritage, unfortunately faces a problem that repeats every year. remains: news about high prices and expensive venues. Especially the tabloid emphasis on overly expensive lahmacun and food and beverage products negatively affects domestic tourists. However, Bodrum is a rich destination that offers many alternatives. The affordable options among these alternatives are an important part of reflecting the real Bodrum experience. This expensive perception psychologically affects not only tourists but also other venues, leading to a different price inflation inside. Bodrum tourism professionals are extremely uncomfortable with such issues being brought to the agenda and tabloidized before each season. There is no need to comment any further on this matter; Bodrum is full of food and beverage alternatives that can fit every budget. For this reason, developing a bad reputation and negative discourse about Bodrum tourism with the perception that it is unfairly overpriced at the beginning of each season does not benefit anyone.
BODRUM SHOULD BE PROMOTED WITH A HOLISTIC APPROACH
Drawing attention to the importance of promoting Bodrum with a holistic approach and collective planning, Bodrium Hotel & SPA General Manager Yiğit Girgin pointed out that a vision is needed to create supply and demand in Bodrum, rather than managing tourism supply and demand.
Girgin said that when Bodrum, which provides service with a bed capacity of 100 thousand and nearly 200 facilities, uses its bed and facility supply with a year-round demand, the businesses and the district will experience a truly bright period in tourism and this development will enable the determined targets to be achieved more easily. told.
Emphasizing that a holistic approach should be taken to promote the city, Yiğit Girgin said: “We must capture a holistic promotional perspective to contribute to Bodrum tourism. I think we should pay more attention to destination promotion. Now, rather than the importance of individual achievements, the importance of collective action comes to the fore. A group of businesses whose neighbors are successful will contribute to destinations. "I think that promoting only individual brands will be successful in the short term by serving the consumer culture, but will not bring success in the long term."
“THE TOURISM SECTOR CAN NO LONGER IGNORE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE”
Noting that the use of artificial intelligence has started to be used in the tourism sector with the developing technology, Yiğit Girgin said, “We see that artificial intelligence and machine learning have significantly affected the business models of 86 percent of the companies operating in the field of agency and tour operators in the travel industry. Many travelers have started using Chat GPT and similar technologies when choosing a destination. While 35 percent of them use these technologies to compare prices, we observe that 92 percent of them base their destination choice on their personal wish lists and then on the recommendations of friends and relatives. Large online agency portals that support the use of artificial intelligence can help their customers more than real people when making travel plans with productive artificial intelligence technology. Artificial intelligence can offer customers better advice than humans. We see that companies that incorporate AI into the online delivery of their services can significantly increase their turnover. There is an example of Tripadvisor that managed to achieve three times the average turnover per customer in the first three months after launching an interactive service. "No one should ignore these processes anymore, we must adapt quickly."
REAL ITALIAN TASTES AT TYRO
Noting that they serve with two experienced chefs at Tyro Restaurant, which offers real Italian flavors together, Girgin said, “We have recently made two new transfers to our apple of the eye, Tyro Italian restaurant. Chef Zekeriya Yıldırım, known in Bodrum and the gastronomy world, also joined our team. Our banquet meetings, breakfast and restaurant operations bear his signature. In addition, our Italian chef Tony is one of the new names in our staff. We have entered a period where we apply real 'Grandma' Italian recipes. “We are waiting for all our guests who are passionate about taste,” she said.
Yiğit Girgin stated that the pizzas go through a careful journey from fermentation until they reach the table and said, “All our products are natural and fresh. None of them contain additives. 100 different options await you at Tyro Italiano Pizzeria Ristorante, which has a capacity of 14 people including the garden. We are assertive with our margarita, ortolana, mushroom, Turkish, four cheese, pepperoni, salmon, smoked ribs, walnuts, bresaola, four seasons, beef ribs, seafood, burrata and mushroom pizzas. Our secret is in our cooking technique and ingredient quality. The special pizza dough, which ferments in 72 hours and does not disturb the stomach, is baked in a stone oven. Pizzas attract attention with their delicacy and are appreciated by our customers with their crispy texture. As a team, we continue our work focused on hygiene, taste and quality. "We welcome our guests 7 days a week, between 12.00-23.00, with special meat dishes from Italian and Turkish cuisine, handmade pasta menus, salads, desserts and a wide variety of local and foreign drinks," he said.
REDISCOVER YOURSELF AT IANUA SPA
Providing service within the body of Bodrium Hotel & SPA, Ianua SPA offers health and beauty services under one roof with the slogan of 'discover yourself'.
General Manager Yiğit Girgin emphasized that Ianua SPA, which provides service with its expert staff, is open to the service of all Bodrum residents.
Stating that Bodrium Hotel & SPA is located next to the ancient gate of the city and that they named the SPA center as "Ianua", which means door in Latin, Yiğit Girgin said, "We wanted to create a SPA for both hotel guests and Bodrum. We are starting to offer different services under one roof to become a meeting point. Ianua SPA offers massage, Turkish bath, steam room, sauna and fitness, and all our masseurs come from the Far East. "Together with our fitness trainers and consultants at Ianua SPA center, we offer our guests services such as a healthier life, well-being and detox in terms of healthier and proper nutrition," he said.