Bursa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BTSO), Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, Southern Marmara Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (GÜMTOB) and Bursa Fire Department jointly organized the “Fire Safety Precaution Practices Seminar in Hotels”. Hosted by Bursa Business School (BBS), the lifelong education center of the business world, the event discussed good practices and inspection processes regarding fire safety in tourism facilities.
The seminar, which brought together tourism sector representatives, comprehensively addressed the creation of sectoral awareness on fire safety, effective use of technical equipment, legislative updates and inspection processes. BTSO Board Member Hakan Batmaz, Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Dr. Kamil Özer, GÜMTOB Board Chairman Buğra Artıç, Fire Department Head Canalp Berkdemir, sector representatives and many tourism stakeholders attended the event.
“Fire Safety is a Management Issue, Not a Technical Issue”
BTSO Board Member Hakan Batmaz, who emphasized in his opening speech that fire safety is not only a technical issue but also an effective management issue, said, “We want to increase awareness of fire safety in hotels, exchange information and contribute to the spread of good practices. In regions with high potential such as Uludağ, it is of great importance that safety becomes a standard as well as service quality. Education is the most critical element here. Even if we have the most advanced technology, if our human resources cannot use these systems correctly, we cannot benefit from that technology.”
“Bursa Business School is a very important gain for the tourism of our city and our country”
Drawing attention to the increase in security standards in the tourism sector, Culture and Tourism Provincial Director Dr. Kamil Özer said, “Under the leadership of BTSO and Bursa Business School, together with GÜMTOB, we informed our hotel operators about the certification and inspection processes. Such meetings are of great importance. Bursa Business School is a very important gain for the tourism of our city and our country. Bursa Business School and Swissôtel stand out as exemplary facilities that add value to the tourism infrastructure of our city.”
“BBS is one of the best equipped facilities in Bursa”
Drawing attention to the importance of the seminar and the venue where it was held, GÜMTOB President Buğra Artıç stated that awareness activities were of great importance after the hotel fires, and said, “We held such a seminar in order to inform our facilities in line with the new legislation, at Swissôtel, one of the best-equipped facilities in Bursa, and under the roof of Bursa Business School. It is very meaningful that a program organized on such a subject was held in a facility with a strong infrastructure. In addition, after the Uludağ Area Presidency, great opportunities arose in the region for four-season tourism and especially health tourism. The leadership of Swissôtel and BBS in this development is very valuable.”
“We See BTSO's Support in All Projects”
Evaluating the meaning of the seminar for sector representatives, tourism professional Erdal Kaya reminded that the sector was shaken by two major fires in a short time and said, “I find this seminar very valuable in order to prevent such incidents from happening again. It is very important for us to come together with sector stakeholders under the roof of BBS and share information. The contributions BTSO offers us in every field, from education to accommodation, are tangible. We see BTSO’s support with us in projects that develop us.”
The seminar concluded with technical presentations where current legal regulations, applicable solutions and good practice examples were shared regarding fire safety in the hotel industry. At the end of the event, joint steps that could be taken to increase cooperation between stakeholders and raise standards across the sector were evaluated.
