Already proud of being one of Turkey’s capital for tourism, the southern province of Antalya and its environs are now looking to make the area a world leader in other economic sectors.
Following Antalya’s success in yacht production and maintenance, the province’s district of Manavgat is also hoping to make a name for itself in the sector.
Manavgat is well placed to host a specialized yacht production center with its seaside location, sound infrastructure and sufficient equity capital, both from its own resources and from the surrounding districts. The district further has a marine high school with two specialty areas: yacht production and captainship-yacht management.
After experiencing six years of difficulties in attempting to land an organized industrial zone solely reserved for yacht production and maintenance, Manavgat has recently taken important concrete steps to construct such facilities.
A committee including governmental and regional authorities came together last week to discuss the feasibility of the project. After being approved by the Antalya Governorship and the Undersecretariat of Maritime Affairs, the project has now been sent to the Industry Ministry for approval.
The facilities, meanwhile, should be completed within two years.
Speaking to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review, Dr. Şükrü Vural, chairman of the Manavgat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that despite the high potential of the region, there are only eight plants engaged in small-scale yacht maintenance in Manavgat. According to the new shore and environment regulation, these plants, however, must soon be removed.
“The yachting firms in Antalya’s organized industrial zone are working at full capacity. We need to extend this capacity into nearby districts, and Manavgat is among the most favorable ones,” Vural said.
With planned construction on an area of 500,000 square meters, the Manavgat yachting industrial zone will only specialize in yacht production and maintenance unlike other industrial zones in Turkey, while also benefiting from all the advantages given to such zones.
Contribution to the economy
Noting that regional and governmental organizations have been supporting this project, Ramazan Taş, head of the Manavgat Yacht Production Association, said 30 firms from Antalya and Istanbul have already taken part in the project, which can accommodate up to 50 production and maintenance plants.
Highlighting that a project that only includes yachting firms will be a first in Turkey, Taş said the only other examples were in Italy and France.
The project will inject $30 million into the national economy and will employ between 7,000 and 8,000 people at both the technical and management levels.
Noting the increased employment that will be created by the project, Vural said there would be opportunities for the students at Manavgat Maritime High School, who will easily find jobs with their technical training and hands-on experiences in the industrial zone.
Agreeing with Vural, Ahmet Erol, head of the Antalya Chamber of Sea Trade, further said the Manavgat Yachting Industrial Zone would be a sector leader in the eastern Mediterranean region, as well as the area surrounding the Caspian Sea.
“With a capacity of 500 yachts, the project will definitely take Turkey’s yachting sector to the top level in a few years,” said Erol.
According to data obtained from the local authorities, the project was delayed for some time because a 1 million-Turkish-Lira payment must first be made for the site of the proposed project.
Although they have not yet paid the required amount , Taş said the project was not delayed, adding that they were waiting for approval from the Industry Ministry before proceeding.
Others, meanwhile, said the project was delayed for six years because area hoteliers wanted the 500,000-square-meter site for hotel construction.
Both Vural and Taş, however, said this claim was not true, adding that they were working in coordination with the authorities and tourism authorities, who are well aware that the publicity the region receives because of its famous yacht production would also benefit the tourism sector.
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