With the recent atrocity that took place in Istanbul, Turkey this week I am reminded of, as an owner of a small family business, some of my favourite sayings that are especially poignant given that our main holiday destination is Turkey.
‘When you buy from a small business you are not helping a CEO buy a third home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a mum or dad put food on the table, a family pay a mortgage or a student pay for college. Our customers are our shareholders and they are the ones we strive to make happy. Thank you for supporting small businesses.’ ……Slightly corny but still true!
Another one is
‘when you buy from a small company, someone in the office does a little dance’ ……..This is definitely me!
There’s no doubt that the attacks in Istanbul and Ankara have done untold damage to the tourism industry in Turkey and many businesses there have suffered immeasurably. The latest attack will only harm the industry even more. Our own business was down by 12% in 2016 and this was actually a good result compared to the market and was directly as a result of our very loyal guests refusing to be deterred to travelling to this beautiful country. I am, naturally, very, very grateful and it is because of this support that we can continue to survive. Going forward into 2017 I would urge all our guests to seriously consider Turkey and especially our unspoilt and uncommercial resorts, for your summer holiday. Turkey offers excellent value, fantastic hotels and villas, wonderful food and drink and a genuinely warm welcome from the locals, who are also very grateful for your custom.
On Sunday 1st January, Simon Calder, the Independent’s Travel Editor wrote an informed and intelligent article and below is a snippet of the text he wrote:
‘I look forward to returning to Turkey soon, because the best way to counter random violence is to assert its futility by not changing your behaviour. The risks of a holiday in Turkey remain low, with road accidents presenting more of a danger than deranged gunmen or terror attacks.
This vast country has welcoming people, a rich heritage, fabulous cuisine and great beaches. But as millions of British families begin the midwinter search for a sunny escape, their fears may steer them elsewhere.’
Don’t let the terrorists win, book a holiday to Turkey and book it with an independent tour operator who will be extremely grateful for your business……I can highly recommend the Discerning Collection!
For Simon Calder’s full article click on : http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/turkey-nightclub-shooting-new-year-2017-bosphorus-erdogan-can-tourist-industry-survive-simon-calder-a7504346.html