The future of tourism in Fethiye was discussed

The meeting held at the DSİ Fethiye R&D and Training Center Meeting Room was attended by Muğla Deputy Governor Murat Sarı, Fethiye District Governor Fatih Akkaya, Fethiye Tourism Advisory Office Branch Manager Saffet Dündar, YDA Dalaman Airport Expenses Director A. Orçun Sungur, representatives of relevant public institutions and organizations, professional chambers, and representatives of the tourism sector.

Murat Sarı: “We will solve the problems together”

Speaking at the opening of the meeting, Muğla Deputy Governor Murat Sarı said that Fethiye is not only one of the most important tourism destinations of Muğla but also of Turkey. Sarı stated that the tourism sector has constantly changing and developing dynamics, and public institutions also make the necessary adjustments by considering the demands of the sector representatives. Emphasizing that the primary purpose of the meeting was to listen to sector representatives, identify problems on-site, and produce solutions, Sarı said that as the governor's office and district governorate, they would work on matters within their jurisdictions and forward other issues to the relevant ministries. He also mentioned that the 2026 tourism season started below expectations and hoped that the season would reach a more positive point in the coming periods.

District Governor Akkaya: “Fethiye needs a shared story”

Delivering one of the most notable speeches at the meeting, Fethiye District Governor Fatih Akkaya stated that the unique tourism values of Fethiye are not sufficiently conveyed under a single brand. He pointed out that Göcek, Ölüdeniz, and Babadağ have each become strong brands on their own, which overshadow the Fethiye brand. Emphasizing that tourists should experience not only Ölüdeniz or Göcek but also Paspatur, Beşkaza Square, the life on the promenade, and the city culture, Akkaya said, "We are not telling Fethiye well enough," highlighting the need for the destination to build a strong brand identity. Akkaya noted that Fethiye needs a unique story, logo, and long-term tourism vision and stressed the importance of making plans for the future rather than temporary fixes. He also addressed new markets, saying that instead of focusing only on European countries, efforts should be increased toward alternative markets such as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Iran.

Fethiye's tourism inventory explained with numbers

In the meeting, Saffet Dündar, Branch Manager of the Fethiye Tourism Advisory Office, gave a presentation detailing Fethiye's historical, cultural, and natural riches with detailed data. Dündar stated that Fethiye, with a history of about 5,000 years, hosts internationally valuable tourism spots such as Kayaköy, Gemiler Island, Afkule Monastery, Amintas Rock Tombs, Telmessos Ancient Theater, Lycian Way, Butterfly Valley, Ölüdeniz, and Göcek, emphasizing that the district is a strong destination in terms of culture, nature, sports, and health tourism. Dündar noted that the district has 625 tourism enterprise licensed facilities, 4,095 accommodation permit licensed enterprises, and approximately 78,000 bed capacity.

Approximately 2.8 million visitors

Sharing tourism data, Dündar stated that in 2025, 1,033,000 domestic and 876,000 foreign tourists stayed in Fethiye. Expressing that together with sea tourism and day visitors, the district hosts approximately 2.8 million guests annually, Dündar noted that a large portion of the foreign tourists are British, followed by Russia, China, and Germany. Dündar emphasized that approximately 85% of tourists in Fethiye step out of their hotels and contribute to the city economy, highlighting this structure as one of the district's most important advantages.

Sports tourism is coming to the forefront

Dündar said that Fethiye stands out not only with sea tourism but also with paragliding, trekking, diving, rafting, cycling, ATV, and international sports organizations. Expressing that paragliding activities on Babadağ attract worldwide attention, Dündar stated that sports organizations create an economic activity of approximately 100,000 people each year. He also provided information about digital promotional activities carried out through the Go Fethiye, Go Muğla, and Go Turkey platforms, advertising campaigns held in London, and promotional activities targeting the Chinese market.

Dalaman Airport data shared

YDA Dalaman Airport Expense Director A. Orçun Sungur shared the current passenger data and season evaluation of Dalaman Airport with the participants. Sungur stated that in 2025, direct flights were operated from Dalaman Airport to 74 airports in 25 countries, with 46 airlines. Sungur expressed that approximately 1.8 million passengers were served in the first six months of 2026, which means a 7.8 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. He noted that inflation, regional developments, and the war environment in the Middle East negatively affected bookings, and an approximately 5.5 percent decrease is expected by the end of the year.

“The issue is not the number of tourists, but the tourist profile”

Sungur stated that although the number of passengers is at higher levels compared to 2019, the sector is not satisfied, and the real issue is not the number of tourists but the tourist profile. Expressing that Turkey can no longer compete with the perception of being a "cheap destination," Sungur emphasized that Fethiye should be positioned as a destination focused on quality service and experience. Within this scope, the "Fethiye Select" quality standard project aims to highlight businesses that meet criteria such as hygiene, service quality, price transparency, and guest satisfaction. He also shared with the participants the efforts to establish the Fethiye Tourism Academy for tourism employees, create a crisis communication system, and promote the destination with a common brand language. Consultations held for the 2027 season In the second part of the meeting, representatives of public institutions, professional chambers, and tourism sector representatives spoke about the current problems of the sector, proposed solutions, and their expectations for the 2027 tourism season.