Didim's doors wide open
This year's tourist season is being given a new and fresh emphasis in Didim as a clutch of new five-stars muscle their way in and catapult this former agricultural village to the vacationing EU masses.
Didim, as I have so often pointed out, struggles to emerge from the shadows of its big brothers, such as Kuşadasi and Bodrum, on the international stage. But at least this year might yet prove a turning point.
With three five-star hotels set to open this year, a new marina in 2009, and more projects for 2010 onward, the future of Didim, is definitely looking bright.
The appeal of five stars will radically improve the quality of hotel accommodation in the resort and offer greater choice to the more discerning tourist. Indeed, we are opening our doors to the international market. The signs are up. All we need is the echo of running feet.
The radical mark up in quality – one which the resort has been crying out for as more boutique and international hotels open up in more high profile resorts such as Bodrum – is being seen as a major shot in the arm for the town.
The hotels to open this year include Didim Beach Elegance, at Third Beach; a new one at the TES-İŞ facilities at Second Beach, and a 600-bed hotel at Mavişehir Sağtur.
The fourth one is a seven-star holiday village due for completion in 2010 and will focus on the German, Belgian and Dutch markets. It will have a convention center, halls for 1,500, 500, and 300 people. The hotel will host meetings for companies and institutions throughout the year and will target convention tourism.
Didim Beach Elegance will feature 120 guest rooms, a fitness suite, and a heavy emphasis on families, with entertainment for children including dedicated Playstation rooms and a children's play area. The hotel's ground floor area will also feature state-of-the-art spa facilities, a restaurant, bar, and exclusive boutique shops. A new hotel based at the TES-İŞ facilities at Second Beach will have a 1,000-bed capacity. The owner of the hotel Tevfik Bağcı said that the hotel will open June 1 and be rented out as apartment hotel and will bring Dutch, Belgian and German tourists. The most important feature is that Bağcı is also the owner of Peninsula Tourism, which brings the most number of tourists to Kuşadası.
He said that he will focus on Didim, but that there will not be any shopping centers in the facility; the tourists will go out for shopping, thus local businesses will also earn.
Bağcı said Didim had an image problem and the new 5-star hotels will strengthen this weak image up to a point. Bağcı said, “we will bring elite tourists from Britain, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, Belgium, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands. They will spend money. We have achieved it in Kuşadası and Antalya.
“We can manage it in Didim also. Our facilities will be a concept. People of Didim are very lucky to have such a mayor who is hardworking and open to tourism, culture and art. Didim grows, improves and changes day by day. The objectives in tourism must be determined carefully.”
The five-star hotel at Mavişehir Sağtur with 282 rooms and 600 beds will also be completed in June.
Hopefully, this will be a sign of things to come. The addition of the hotels will strengthen the economy, provide more opportunities, employment and otherwise, for locals, and generally give the lift it desperately needs on the international front.
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=96558
