ANKARA, Jan 31 (A.A) - Tour Operators Association's Secretary General Huseyin Baraner has said that many countries and tour operators were refraining from promotion following September 11 attacks in the United States and that development was a very important opportunity for Turkish tourism.
Baraner told A.A correspondent on Thursday that the number of tourists who would visit Turkey in 2002 tourism season would increase by 20 percent.
Baraner said, ''the world tourism sector continues to refrain from activities of joining fairs and promotion as of the first weeks of the new year. Some tourism companies and some countries have taken decisions not to attend the biggest tourism fair of the world which will be held in Berlin on March 16. Even Neckerman and Lufthansa are among those companies.''
Huseyin Baraner went on saying, ''Turkey as Tourism Ministry, travel agencies and tour operators continue to take part in all key fairs and promotions in the world. Turkish companies take their places on key stands in the fairs and this is a very important chance for Turkey.''
Pointing out that Turkey was a leading one among the countries which could market its products in the world tourism market, Baraner noted that Turkey would especially come to the forefront in significant markets such as Germany, Russia, Britain, Poland and France in 2002.
He emphasized that the countries which were the rivals of Turkey did not have their own tour operators and that they were dependent on the promotions of foreign companies.
Baraner said, ''Turkey has Turkish origin tour operators such as Oger, GTI, Vezyr Tur, Mos Travel, Tur-Tes and Pasa.''
The number of tourists will increase by 20 percent in 2002 in Turkey, if there is no clashes or terrorist attacks in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, Baraner added.