Paying a visit to Çetin Osman Budak, the president of Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ATSO), on Wednesday, Husanov said the number of Russian visitors to Antalya had dropped by only 3 percent over the same period a year ago, which he deemed a negligible decline given the problems caused by the economic downturn.
Asked about why they choose Antalya as a holiday destination, Russians usually respond by saying they receive a far better quality of service than they are really paying for, Husanov said. Nearly 10,000 Russians are living in Antalya alone, he added. “Russian citizens and Turks are living here together. There are even those who marry Turks. They feel happy and safe here.”
Husanov also said he wanted Antalyan businessmen to share their experience, especially in the agricultural sector, with Russians in order to forge better relations and boost trade.
“The potential in Antalya is quite significant in terms of relations between Russia and Turkey. For instance, if you ask a Russian where he is heading to for his holiday, he replies by saying Antalya. But if you ask him which country he will be visiting, he would probably fail to answer correctly,” Husanov said, adding that Antalyan businessmen must convert this great interest into opportunities to invest in Russia through new and unique areas of cooperation.
