President of the Alanya Tour Operators Association (ALTID) Cem Özcan: The solution is not in bans, but in regulated integration.
Cem Özcan, President of ALTID, commented on the ongoing discussions regarding the activities of foreign online travel and accommodation booking platforms in Turkey. According to him, the issue is not banning these services, but properly and controlledly integrating them into the country’s tourism and legal system.
Özcan reminded that in most countries around the world, international platforms operate within clearly established rules. A similar approach, in his opinion, should be applied in Turkey: platforms must open official offices, appoint responsible contacts, and assume legal and tax obligations according to national legislation.
He emphasized that global services operating in Turkey without company registration create unfair competition for local travel agencies that comply with all legal requirements. An additional problem is the lack of a legal representative in cases of consumer complaints.
Özcan paid special attention to destinations like Alanya, where a significant part of tourist demand comes from individual international bookings. He noted that a sharp and complete shutdown of online platforms without alternatives could lead to a reduction in bookings and a decline in the international recognition of the region.
According to ALTID, global tourism is rapidly moving towards digitalization, artificial intelligence, and online platforms. Today, OTA services are not just sales channels but a global showcase for countries and tourist destinations.
“Through these platforms, Turkish hotels, resorts, and cities reach millions of potential guests simultaneously. Ignoring this reality in decision-making is impossible,” Özcan said. He also stressed that taxation, representation, data usage, consumer rights, and unfair competition must be regulated through transparent, clear, and auditable rules.
Özcan also pointed out the need to develop strong national booking platforms capable of competing at a global level. According to him, this is possible only through the collaborative effort of the entire tourism sector.
In conclusion, he noted that leading tourism countries develop not by isolating digital platforms, but by regulating them and enhancing competition. “The solution is not in blocking them, but in dialogue and regulation. We need to adapt successful international models to the realities of Turkey to protect the sector and prevent Turkish tourism from being isolated from the world,” Cem Özcan concluded.
Meeting of Alanya and TGA delegations: Full coordination for 2026
The Alanya delegation at the meeting included:
Abdurrahman Açıkalın — President of ALTAV and Advisor to the Mayor of Alanya,
Cem Özcan — President of ALTID,
Şükrü Çimrin — Former member of the 2nd TGA Assembly and ALTAV Board member,
and Can Som — ALTAV Board member.
From the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), participants included General Manager Sinan Seha Türkeşen, Deputy General Manager Dr. Elif Balcı Fisunoglu, Director of Events and Hospitality Sinem Özyalçın, and representatives of relevant departments.
The key topic of the negotiations was Alanya’s development prospects in 2026. The city’s delegation presented TGA management with detailed information on planned national and international events, the festival calendar, and advertising and marketing projects.
Following the meeting, both sides agreed on
closer and more synchronized coordination of Alanya’s promotional activities with TGA, as well as further strengthening institutional cooperation. TGA representatives highly appreciated Alanya’s
systematic and strategically well-planned approach to planning and promoting the destination.