“Let them give me the TRNC advertising campaign, and I’ll bring 500,000 tourists to the island a year…”
In an interview I published recently, I said that tourism faces problems beyond the political debates of recent days, and brought one of the most striking of these—the “music ban”—to the fore. In the interview I’m publishing today, we’ll address another very serious problem in tourism: “promotion.” Of course, these aren’t problems I have simply heard about and am talking about! I’m trying to bring them to your attention through interviews with people working in the tourism industry. As I also said in last week’s interview, if we discussed these problems at least as much as we discuss politics, there would be no problem we couldn’t solve! We just have to want to talk about these issues…
My guest this week is Mert Bölükbaşı, owner of Mosquito Beach Club. Born in Mersin in 1971, Mert Bölükbaşı began his career in the hotel business in 1989. He went on to work at major hotels such as Hilton and Radison, and worked in the industry in various parts of the world. Bölükbaşı was the first person to serve lahmacun and ayran to the President of El Salvador, and says that he made his first investment in our country and will make his future investments here as well.
Mert Bölükbaşı has a few other things to say!
“This promotion office, which is part of the TRNC Ministry of Tourism, is so unsuccessful it could serve as an example to the world.”
Cem Kar: It’s obvious that the number of tourists visiting our country has declined this year. Why do you think that is, and what should be done?
Mert Bölükbaşı: First, I should say this: in my view, the KTO should now embrace its members—in other words, get out of its central office, visit people, and listen to their problems. They’ve held 300 meetings so far, and not one of them has resulted in a decision. We investors should get together, each put in 3.5 kuruş, make an agreement with an advertising agency in Istanbul, and get involved in this work.
C.K: So there needs to be a promotional push…
M.B: I say this everywhere, and I’ll keep saying it: the most unsuccessful promotion office I’ve ever seen is ours. This promotion office, which is part of the TRNC Ministry of Tourism, is so unsuccessful it could serve as an example to the world. Its failure could even be taught as a university course.
C.K: What is this failure? In other words, what do you think they can’t do?
M.B: I’m getting to that… Turkey is a country of 75 million people. Eight million people travel in Turkey. They say the number of tourists coming to the TRNC from Turkey is around 130,000 to 150,000, but I don’t believe it. Let me explain why: the owners of Turkey’s biggest tour operators, ETS and JOLLY tur, are my friends. I ask them, “How many people do you send to the TRNC?” One says 15,000, the other says 7,000 or 8,000. And these are the biggest ones! Let’s make that figure 100,000. There you have an example of failure. In a huge country of 75 million, eight million people travel, and the country is right next door to you. The number of tourists you get from there speaks for itself. I’m saying this about the promotion office. The promotion office has a budget of 7 million dollars. Where have you run an advertising campaign? Where have you held an event? I want to know where this money is being spent. I’m a citizen of this country. Mert Bölükbaşı is asking: I want to find out where this money has gone!
C.K: But you don’t have a casino! How do you stay in business?
M.B: Politicians and the KTOB are always saying, “We want hotels without casinos,” and so on. We came and opened one! We put a 75-room nature hotel into service. Would you believe that not even one of them has stopped by to say hello? As long as we have this Ministry of Tourism and this Promotion Office, hotels without casinos are bound to go bankrupt. I’m saying it that plainly. The other day I got a message on my mobile phone. It said that a high-society party was going to be held at a very famous palace in Paris, and that they were looking for a sponsor for 4,500 euros. Why don’t we sponsor it as the TRNC? Wasn’t the Promotion Office’s budget 7 million dollars? Where is that money? You can’t get things done by just sitting around! We’ve already seen that it doesn’t work… In 20 years, you’ve brought 100,000 people from Turkey. How can anyone be this incompetent? If you don’t know how to do this job, leave it to others. Since they don’t know how to do their jobs, we have to promote both our establishment and the TRNC! What are you doing there? By the way, I don’t know anyone at the Promotion Office. But I keep asking: What are you doing? You go to Turkey today, and there’s nothing there about the TRNC!
“People in Turkey don’t want to come to the TRNC.”
C.K: So you’re not happy with the Promotion Office.
M.B: Let them give me the TRNC advertising campaign. Look, I’m not asking for money for myself or a salary. I’m asking only for a five-person team and an expense fund; 500,000 dollars is enough. Every expense will be documented. If I can’t bring 500,000 people, I’ll donate 100,000 dollars myself.
C.K: You know this business well. You’ve worked in this industry in various parts of the world. Didn’t you know the situation was like this? Why did you invest here?
M.B: For emotional and family reasons. I’ll be frank: this isn’t something a smart businessman would do! Also, the other businesses and I advertise every day in Turkey’s major newspapers. People in Turkey don’t want to come to the TRNC. We need to put the TRNC into people’s minds and hearts. The Promotion Office has a major role to play in doing that. You can’t take 7 million dollars and just sit around! They have to show us their expenses. We’re struggling because they’re not doing their job. The Promotion Office needs to be transparent and do its job properly.
“We impose the embargo on ourselves here.”
C.K: In your view, does the TRNC need to be recognized?
M.B: With a good advertising campaign, I don’t think so! Look at Taiwan today; it doesn’t need anything. Taiwan isn’t a recognized country! But today, it lends money to other countries. They developed themselves and worked hard; they didn’t just sit around. We impose the embargo on ourselves here. There’s no embargo on us from Turkey!
C.K: You built a nature hotel, and I sensed that as soon as I first came here. Swimming in the pool to the sound of birds is great fun! What kind of reactions have you had?
M.B: Look, I built a nature hotel here. I received congratulations from Turkey’s Ministry of Environment. We haven’t heard a word from our Ministry of Environment. They should come by so we can meet. This place is like the Ministry of Environment’s grounds; there’s a hundred-year-old mulberry tree beside the swimming pool. We protect dozens of trees and plants here. If I were the Minister of Tourism, I’d hold a ceremony for people making new investments and give them a couple of flowers and a plaque. This work depends on morale and motivation. I don’t believe anyone feels motivated.
C.K: Finally, what would you like to say?
M.B: The TRNC is a ship floating in the middle of the sea without a captain. It’s unclear who the captain is—in fact, there is no captain, and no one steps forward! It just drifts along on its own. What a shame. Look, I haven’t talked about individuals here. I’m not saying anything bad; I’m talking about our common interests and the economy. My business is marketing and promotion. I’ll say it again: let them give me the job of promoting the TRNC, the advertising campaign, and I’ll bring 500,000 people to this island.
C.K: Mr. Bölükbaşı, thank you for this pleasant conversation.
M.B: Thank you.