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The
Law concerning Travel Agencies and the Association of Travel Agencies
gives the definition of travel agencies including the services which can
be offered by them. The Regulation Pertaining to Travel Agencies
prepared in accordance with the Law 1618 effective as of 04.09.1996
contains in further detail Exclusive Services of Travel Agencies as well
as other services rendered by them. The Regulation specifies the
exclusive services of travel agencies in detail under the subheadings,
Organizing Tours, Transfer, Reservation, Information, Organizing
Congresses and Conferences, Renting Out Individual Vehicles for Tour
Purposes, Selling Tickets for Transport Vehicles, Selling the Products
of Travel Agencies.
In
accordance with the Law No.1618, travel agencies are established upon
the issue of an operation License by the Ministry of Tourism, and they
are obliged to become members of the Association of Turkish Travel
Agencies.
Travel Agencies are divided into three groups according to the services
they perform:
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Group (A) Agencies offer and perform all services specified in Article
1 of the Law No.1618
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Group (B) agencies sell tickets for international land, sea and air
transport and tours arranged by (A) group travel agencies.
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Group (C) agencies organise and sell domestic tours for Turkish
citizens.
Group (B) and (C) agencies can also carry out the services which are
entrusted to them by (A) group travel agencies.
According to the law, group A agencies shall be granted provisional
operation licence for a period of two years. Provisional operation
licence of an A group travel agency can be converted to operation
licence if the agency can obtain within this period of two years certain
amount of foreign exchange earnings, as specified by the relevant
article of the law.
(A)
group agencies can also organize tours to foreign countries from Turkey
provided that such tours do not exceed % 25 of the amount of foreign
exchange they brought from abroad in the previous year, through the
tours arranged by them. Foreign travel agencies cannot organise tours to
foreign countries from Turkey.
There are, at present 5184 travel agencies including branch offices all
over Turkey.
Travel agency bussiness has flourished in line with the development of
Turkish tourism. A great leap in the number of travel agencies has been
observed since 1990 reaching a total of 5184 by 2007.
Turkish travel agencies offer wide range of products to satisfy demand
of any segment of market; most travel agencies diversified their field
of activity and products while some others are specialized in specific
areas.
Turkish travel agencies gained valuable experiences through decades.
Their dynamic enterprising nature, understanding of market have enabled
them to establish successful bussiness relations producing fruitful
results. These efforts alltogether have given impetus to the rate of
growth and played a major role in the achievements of the Turkish
tourism. Some, even set up business abroad, in several tourist
generating countries under severe competitive market situation and
accomplished success. Their achievements have also contributed to
increase in demand to Turkey.
NUMBER OF AGENCIES BY GROUPS
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