The opposition to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s new bill aimed at splitting the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) is growing stronger day by day. TÜRSAB members, setting out to protect the travel agency profession and the Union, convened with over 1000 travel agency representatives at Ankara’s ATO Congresium. The travel agencies unanimously declared, ‘TÜRSAB Cannot Be Divided.’ TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya stated, ‘We have sensible statesmen, including our President. We trust our statesmen who will correct these wrongs and our Grand National Assembly.’
Following a meeting in Istanbul, the management of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) and the accompanying delegation met with over 1000 travel agency representatives in Ankara to convey the message ‘TÜRSAB Cannot Be Divided.’ The ‘Travel Agencies Ankara Meeting’ organized by TÜRSAB was held on Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the Ankara ATO Congresium. At this major Ankara gathering, a message of ‘unity and solidarity’ was communicated against the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which threatens the future of our travel agencies.
At the meeting attended by TÜRSAB Board Chairman Firuz Bağlıkaya, Vice Presidents Davut Günaydın and Hasan Eker, Board Members, Audit and Discipline Board Members, Presidential Advisors, and Regional Representatives, more than 1000 travel agency representatives and members of the press participated.
‘TRAVEL AGENCIES FIND, BRING AND TOUR THE TOURISTS’
Highlighting the locomotive role of travel agencies in the initiation and development of tourism in our country, Firuz Bağlıkaya stated, ‘It is the travel agencies that find, bring, and tour the tourists. Everything that is called a success in tourism is because of us. Those who turn a blind eye to the fact that ‘there can be no tourism without travel agencies’ will see if they look at the history of tourism in Turkey that everything started with the efforts of travel agencies. There were travel agencies 20 years before the Ministry of Tourism was established, and they will exist as long as there is tourism.’
‘WE BELIEVE THAT OUR PRESIDENT WILL NOT ALLOW THIS MISTAKE’
Expressing his belief that our President, state officials, and our Grand National Assembly will not permit such a mistake, Bağlıkaya said, ‘Nothing is over yet. In our country, there are sensible statesmen, including our President, who will tell those who drafted this proposal that what they are trying to do is wrong. We know the support and sensitivity of our President to the sector, and we believe he will see the mistake being made. TÜRSAB is an institution that works in harmony with the government, conforms to the vision of our President, and conducts activities compatible with the goals of the Turkey Century. We trust our statesmen who will correct these wrongs and our Grand National Assembly. Our unity is our prosperity. TÜRSAB Cannot Be Divided.’
‘TÜRSAB IS THE 51-YEAR PRIDE OF OUR 100-YEAR REPUBLIC’
Emphasizing that TÜRSAB, established in 1972, is the 51-year pride of the 100-year Turkish Republic, Bağlıkaya said, ‘If the tourism sector is seen as the savior for Turkey’s future today, it is the product of 51 years of work, to which travel agencies, tour operators, and their Union, TÜRSAB, have greatly contributed.’
BAĞLIKAYA EXPLAINED POINT BY POINT
In his speech, TÜRSAB Board Chairman Firuz Bağlıkaya explained one by one the articles in the new draft law prepared by the Ministry that would negatively affect TÜRSAB, travel agencies, and the sector. He highlighted that if TÜRSAB is divided, the representational power of travel agencies would be harmed, and the sector would become fragmented. He noted that if the draft is accepted, small-scale travel agencies would face the threat of closure against those with large capital.
‘THEY HAVE NOT GIVEN UP ON THEIR DESIRE TO SPLIT TÜRSAB’
Bağlıkaya pointed out that the draft law, which the Ministry has repeatedly amended and presented to other Ministries for opinion since last November, contains many articles, from closing TÜRSAB to removing travel agencies from their professional commercial status. ‘Thanks to the objections of other ministries regarding the unconstitutionality of this draft, they gave up on it. However, what they could not give up on was splitting TÜRSAB, opening the way for travel agencies with large capital, and their desire to eliminate those trying to fend for themselves. These articles are exactly the same in all four drafts we have,’ he stated.
‘IF EVERYONE SPEAKS, NO ONE WILL LISTEN’
Bağlıkaya emphasized that if TÜRSAB is split, professional structures will become politicized, and this is not the right path for our country. He stressed that if the Union is divided, the representational power of travel agencies in the tourism sector will be lost. Criticizing the article in the new draft law that allows every thousand travel agencies to establish their own union, Bağlıkaya asked, ‘Who would take such a fragmented structure seriously, even if it’s called a union? If everyone has a say, who will listen?’
‘SPLITTING TÜRSAB WOULD END PROFESSIONAL SOLIDARITY’
Bağlıkaya also criticized the article allowing travel agencies to be divided according to their areas of activity. ‘Dividing travel agencies according to their areas of activity is like dividing chambers of commerce according to types of commercial activities,’ said Bağlıkaya, adding, ‘Splitting TOBB, eliminating TESK is what splitting TÜRSAB would mean; it would have the same effect. These are not considered, nor can the division of TÜRSAB be considered. Let us not forget that TÜRSAB is Unity. That means there are elected BTKs forming the Union. There are separate specialty presidencies for each branch like Health, Hajj-Umrah, MICE. While it is possible to incorporate these into the law and regulate them by law, how can splitting the Union make sense? Dividing travel agencies into small unions would also eliminate the power of professional solidarity. If professional solidarity is lost, ‘Union’ disputes will replace it, adversely affecting Turkish tourism.’
CAPITAL POWER IS PROMOTED IN THE NEW LAW
Bağlıkaya mentioned that one of the new Unions to be established would be the Union of Tour Operators. ‘An important outcome the Minister aims to achieve with this draft law is to separate the big ones with capital power under the name of tour operators from the others. The draft states that travel agencies with an annual turnover exceeding 250 million lira will be members of the Union of Tour Operators. It separates the big ones from the others. However, mysteriously, no obligations such as insurance, collateral, or qualified personnel are imposed on the ‘big ones.’ They pay the same dues, provide the same collateral, and work under the same conditions, but just because their turnover is high, they are called tour operators. Tour operators are given the right to establish their own branch-dealer agency network for free. If this draft passes as is, travel agencies that operate franchises, signboard agencies, will disappear. We will not allow this.”
‘WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT UNTIL OUR PRESIDENT HEARS US’
Meeting with the veterans of the sector, former TÜRSAB presidents, and members to fight against the division of the Union, Bağlıkaya stated, ‘We are together to make our voices heard, to defend our rights. We will continue to shout the truth until they turn from their mistake.’ Bağlıkaya concluded his remarks by saying, ‘As TÜRSAB, we will continue to fight until our President hears us.’
At the great Ankara meeting, a short film addressing the chaos and deep wounds that the new draft law would cause in the tourism sector and including the opinions of sector representatives against the law was shared with travel agencies.
