26.01.2025 17:10
As a result of inspections conducted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism over the last three years, a decision has been made to close 4,380 tourism facilities that were found to not meet tourism qualifications.
With the amendments made to the Tourism Promotion Law in 2021 and 2023, a requirement was introduced for businesses that have been granted a business opening and operating license by municipalities and provincial special administrations to obtain a tourism operation certificate within 6 months. It was stipulated that accommodation businesses that do not obtain a tourism operation certificate within this period will have their business opening and operating licenses revoked by the competent authority within one month, thus terminating their activities.
THOUSANDS OF TOURISM FACILITIES FACING CLOSURE
According to information obtained from officials of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry has been running an intensive program following the legislative changes in this regard. Since 2022, the Ministry has decided to close 4,380 facilities that failed to complete their deficiencies regarding tourism facility qualifications. The closure process was implemented by the municipalities and provincial special administrations authorized to issue business opening and operating licenses. It was stated that out of a total of 25,908 tourism facilities in Turkey, 16.9% of these facilities were closed because they did not meet the standards.
ISTANBUL AT THE TOP
In the last 3 years, Istanbul ranks first among the provinces where closure decisions were made for tourism facilities, with 767 facilities. It is followed by Izmir with 515 facilities and Sakarya with 499 facilities. Some provinces with the highest number of facilities closed due to not meeting tourism qualifications are as follows:
"In Muğla, 424; in Antalya, 386; in Aydın, 226; in Çanakkale, 179; in Bursa, 149; in Balıkesir, 131; in Denizli, 127; in Kocaeli, 125; in Nevşehir, 107; in Mersin, 61; in Kahramanmaraş, 53; in Bartın, 49; in Şanlıurfa, 36; in Tekirdağ, 34; in Isparta, 32; in Hatay, 30; in Edirne, 26; in Manisa, 25; in Trabzon, 24; in Rize and Zonguldak, 22 each; in Kastamonu, 19; in Adana and Kırklareli, 18 each; in Ankara and Uşak, 17 each; in Kütahya, 14; in Kayseri and Erzurum, 13 each; in Giresun and Samsun, 12 each; in Sinop and Yalova, 10 each."
"WE MAKE THE CLOSURE DECISION, MUNICIPALITIES IMPLEMENT IT"
On the other hand, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy also made evaluations regarding the fire that broke out at the Grand Kartal Hotel in Kartalkaya Ski Center during a television program he attended recently, stating, "We make the closure decision, municipalities implement it. In our last meeting, I instructed the governorships. I asked them to push municipalities to complete the closure processes. We have been running a very effective and intensive program regarding this for the last 3 years. This is a work that no one has done until today. We are regularizing all documents. We are closing those who do not complete them."