Turkey shares tourism experience with Turkmenistan

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Gunay yesterday attended the opening ceremony of four hotels built by Turkish contractors in Turkmenistan's Avaza Tourism Zone on the Caspian coast. The opening was also attended by Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimohammedov, members of the Turkey-Turkmenistan Parliamentary Friendship Group, Turkish Ambassador to Ashgabat Huseyin A. Bicakli, Turkish Association of Travel Agencies (TURSAB) head Basaran Ulusoy, and Turkey's Calik Holding Chairman Ahmet Calik, along with other leading Turkish tourism industry figures. Speaking at the meeting, Berdimohammedov thanked Turkish businesspeople for their investments in his country, adding that his government would continue to ease visa, tax and customs requirements to promote such investments. Calling the new hotels a first step to improve the Turkmen tourism industry, he said similar facilities such as spas, culture and sports centers, private villas, modern hotels, and children's centers will be seen in Turkmenistan in the years to come. Also speaking at the ceremony, Gunay characterized Turkey and Turkmenistan as one nation with two states, adding that Turkey would continue to help Turkmenistan boost its tourism industry. Stating that the two countries can take part in joint tourism projects, Gunay also said that the TURSAB would help Turkmen officials revamp the country's tourism. Ulusoy proposed to Berdimohammedov a new vocational high school to educate young people to meet the country's tourism personnel needs. Berdimuhammedov aims to create a tourism zone in his country based on Turkey's experience along the Mediterranean coast, especially the famed resort city of Antalya, and similar to Dubai, and so is working to establish a free tourism zone in Avaza. The project to construct holiday and treatment facilities over 7,500 hectares has three stages. In the first stage, begun in late 2007, Turkmenistan wants to invest some $4 billion in construction. Around 40 foreign companies were interested in the first stage, but Turkish companies undertook the majority of the construction.