According to a new report published by TOPHOTELPROJECTS for The Hotel Show Dubai 2015, hotel construction in Turkey is at an all-time high, with 75 projects and 12,968 new rooms in the pipeline.
The Hotel Show 2015 commissioned the report on the back of a 70% increase in interest from Turkish manufacturers looking to exhibit at the 16th annual event this year, set to take place in Dubai in September.
“The increase in representation of local Turkish manufacturers looking to showcase their products to hoteliers and target distributers in Dubai is interesting and could be encouraged by buoyant hotel construction in that country,” says Christine Davidson, group event director of the dmg events hospitality portfolio, including The Hotel Show.
“It is clear that these suppliers have their eye firmly on expansion and increasing exports and we are delighted to have such a strong contingency at the show this year.”
Turkey is now the sixth most visited country in the world with 41 million tourists in 2014, and its robust manufacturing industry including leather and textiles attracts a significant amount of international business travel.
In 2015, Starwood Hotels and Resorts opened a new Sheraton hotel in Samsun, a city famed for its manufacturing businesses as well as providing a major port to the Black Sea. Hilton is set to open two properties in Eskisehir, another Turkish business centre.
The TOPHOTELPROJECTS report puts Turkey in third place in the Middle East for hotel construction, behind only the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Caroline List, International Sales Manager at TOPHOTELPROJECTS comments: “Turkey has emerged as a leading tourist destination with a massive growth in hotel construction.
“Trends we have witnessed for the Turkish market include recreational complexes, which can also be used for day trips, as well as hotels with spa facilities. Hotel construction is rife in Istanbul, which currently hosts over 800 properties and 50,000 rooms, but there is a clear move towards the regional cities popular for manufacturing companies including Samsun, Eskisehir, Ankara, and Izmir.”
Over 30 Turkish manufacturers set to arrive in Dubai in September for The Hotel Show include Elemegi Furniture & Design, an architectural company undertaking turnkey hotel applications, design and restoration with the capacity of a 10,000sqm production area, and high-profile clients including Rixos, Nobu and Burberry.
Engin Ertekin, The Hotel Show Dubai’s Turkish representative based in Istanbul says: “Dubai, UAE and the entire Middle East are always target markets for Turkish companies for all industries. There has been a continuous and significant increase in the last few years in part due to the general economic stagnation in Europe which is the number one region for Turkey’s foreign trade. This is pushing Turkish exporters to focus more on the Middle East and also to find new markets.”
The Hotel Show Dubai 2015 takes place 28-30th September at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Register to attend the event for free here.
