Turkish delight

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Rumeli Fortress, Istanbul.

Turkey's leisure industry is on an upward swing, says Selina Denman.

The essential elements are all in place: an established tourism industry that attracts some 23 million visitors per year, a burgeoning real estate sector fuelled by foreign demand and a young, upwardly mobile population. These are auspicious times for Turkey's leisure sector - and even July's bomb blasts in Istanbul were unable to dampen spirits.

An obvious indicator of the country's newfound fortunes is the number of large-scale malls currently under construction. Shopping centre stock in Turkey is set to soar by 60% over the next two years, according to Turkish Retail Market Commentary from Jones Lang LaSalle and Alkas Consulting. A total of 33 new shopping centres came on to the market between January 2007 and February 2008, and a number of additional facilities are scheduled for rollout over the coming months.

The research also noted that entertainment and leisure facilities are a crucial element of this new wave of retail developments. In addition to the expected cinemas and restaurants, Turkey's shopping centres are becoming more adventurous in their offering. Forum Istanbul, which is home to a large aquarium, was cited as one example of this trend.

Aside from the entertainment and retail boom, golf, health club and spa facilities are showing promising outlooks - a reflection of the government's efforts to develop a diverse and varied tourism product.

Sultans of swing

The cultivation of a world-class golfing industry has been a particular priority for the Turkish government and a series of championship courses have sprung up across the country as a result. An acknowledgment of the progress made by this sector over the last decade came from the International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO), which named Turkey Europe's Best Golf Destination for 2008.

"The award means we have achieved something because we have worked very hard over the last 10 years. We started off with just one course in Turkey, and now we have 14. Over the next two or three years there will be about 30 courses throughout Turkey," says Ali Sahin, chairman of IAGTO's Turkey chapter.

Course designer, Golfplan - Fream, Dale & Ramsey, has already broken ground on a new golf resort in Bodrum. The company's 18-hole course will form part of a wider project featuring a hotel and 4000 villas, scheduled for completion in 2009.

Meanwhile, Turkey's first pure links course, LinksGolf Antalya, is due to open in November as part of the LykiaWorld & LinksGolf Antalya resort. The 603,000m² golf complex will feature an 18-hole, par 72 course designed by Perry Dye. The Antalya area is already home to courses designed by Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo and is the heartland of Turkey's golfing industry.

LinksGolf Antalya will complement the resort's recently-opened spa and Ayurvedic wellness centre. The US $8.2 million centre covers 4000m² and features 24 treatment rooms, including two treatment suites for couples, Ayurvedic massage rooms, a balneotherapy room and a hammam room. The facility is operated by Sebose Spa Consulting and also offers an indoor Japanese pool area.

Roman roots

Turkey's spa and wellness industry is building on a tradition that can be traced back to Roman times. Its 1000-plus thermal springs offered their therapeutical qualities to the Roman legions that inhabited the Anatolia region - and are at the core of the country's wellness industry to this day.

According to the Turkish Geothermal Association, Turkey has more thermal resources than any other country in Europe, and places seventh in the world. As a result, a concentrated effort is underway to position Turkey at the forefront of global ‘thermal tourism' by 2023. The Thermal Tourism Cities Project is being led by Turkey's ministry of culture and tourism and will see a reported $100 million spent on this sector over the coming years.

The Turkish hammam also points to an established tradition of wellness and relaxation in the country.

"Turkish baths play a very important role in Turkish tradition, even though it was the Romans who developed a culture of independent bath construction. The Ottomans not only built baths in the capital but also constructed countless baths across the wide sweep of their empire," explains Narendra Shetty, director of spa at the newly-opened Swissôtel Grand Efes, Izmir.

"Currently, top-of-the-range spas are only located in hotel complexes and there are hardly any standalone facilities. The current growth in the Turkish tourism sector has led to the development of many new resorts, particularly in the south of the country, which have incorporated spas as an essential ingredient," explains Shetty.

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