Wednesday, November 14, 2007 ‘Open RP-Turkey flights’
TO take advantage of the Philippines’ growing tourism industry, the government of Turkey wants Turkish airline companies to offer direct flights to and from Manila soon.
Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Adnan Basaga said he will convince leading airline operators in Turkey to start operating routes between the two countries upon finalization of the Civil Aviation Agreement (CAA) between Turkey and the Philippines.
“I’ll do my best to convince Turkish airlines to fly to the Philippines. We are now in the stage of finalizing (the CAA). But the most important part is to fulfill the CAA and then build on the commercial talks between airline companies,” Basaga said.
He said Turkish airline representatives have already started visiting Manila to explore feasible flight opportunities between Turkey and the Philippines.
Ticketing office
One positive outcome of the visit, Basaga said, is the establishment of a Turkish airline ticketing office in Manila.
“Turkish airlines fly to most key destinations in the world but not the Philippines. I see great opportunities here, especially in the facilities. The Filipinos can use the hub-point of Istanbul as a gateway to Europe through direct flights from Manila,” the ambassador said in an interview last Monday at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
“It doesn’t matter whether its Philippine airlines or Turkish airlines that comes first but as long as there is a direct flight. I hope that before I leave the Philippines, I will receive a Turkish airline in (my office in) Manila,” he added.
Basaga, who was in Cebu since last week, met with local government officials and businessmen to explore business prospects in the province.
“It is part of my job to see the country as much as possible and see, on the spot, available conditions,” he said.
In the area of tourism, Basaga said Cebu has “many advantages.” He cited the hospitality of Cebuanos, their good command of the English language as well as the availability of international flights in Cebu as the province’s advantages.
Advantage
He said the availability of tourist destinations, like beach resorts, “which is open the whole year round,” is another advantage.
“In Turkey, we have beaches but we have snow up to seven months a year,” Basaga said, indicating that Cebu can cater to Turkey’s leisure market travelers.
On the other hand, Cebuanos, and Filipinos in general, can take advantage of Turkey for religious tourism or as a site for Christian pilgrimages.
“Tourism, in this day, is one of the main keys in putting nations together and understanding each other,” Basaga said.
This is why he said that when more Filipinos travel to Turkey, they will realize that even if 98 percent of Turks are Muslims, the country boasts of several Christian churches, including the famous historical site of the House of the Virgin Mary.
“Come to Turkey and enjoy the country, the people, and the hospitality. You can also fulfill there the directives of your Catholic faith,” Basaga urged.
He also said other than religious tourism, Turkey is also a popular destination for spa, health and wellness, and shopping.
Citing official records, Basaga said Turkey, with a 78 million population, hosts 22 million tourists every year, making it one of the world’s top 10 foreign tourist destinations. (MMM)
