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ANKARA: Nudist Hotel On Turkish Coast Receives Public Approval

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  • ANKARA: Nudist Hotel On Turkish Coast Receives Public Approval

    NUDIST HOTEL ON TURKISH COAST RECEIVES PUBLIC APPROVAL

    Hurriyet
    April 26 2010
    Turkey

    DATCA - Dogan News Agency

    A hotel that will only serve nudists in the Aegean resort town of Datca
    has received the support of locals, Dogan news agency reported Monday.

    Open exclusively to foreigners, the beachfront nudist-only hotel
    Adaburnu Gölmar, built on a 14,000-square-meter plot of land located
    15 kilometers from Datca's town center, will open on May 1. It will
    be Turkey's first hotel to serve nudists and the locals in Datca are
    excited about the opportunity.

    Selma Unal, a member of the Mugla Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
    noted that Datca is a Special Environment Protection Zone and it is
    impossible to increase the bed capacity.

    "Even if it is a tourism facility, the buildings in Datca can be
    three-story at most," said the 41-year-old businesswoman. "Under such
    circumstances, a hotel going into the niche nudist tourism market is a
    very good idea. I will support any move that will bring more tourists
    to Datca and diversifying the target audience is an advantage in the
    tourism sector."

    Unal said every hotel should try to be unique, just like the nudist
    hotel, and the share Datca gets from the tourism pie will increase
    this way.

    The project architect of first hotel of its kind in Turkey, Abdullah
    Ä°Å~_canı, said the premises are located close to Datca's most
    important tourism zone. "The area is around 5 million square meters in
    total, all allocated for tourism facilities," he said. "But there is
    not yet enough investment in the area. The Kardemir family, owners
    of Adaburnu Gölmar along with other tourism investments, has been
    the pioneers here."

    Ä°Å~_canı said it is important that the first investment in the area
    sets eyes on a whole different tourism market.

    "We must diversify tourism as much as we can to make the best use of
    it," he said. "A nudist hotel is just one example of targeting the
    niche markets; I hope that other examples will follow."

    The new concept has also ensured the support of local business owners.

    Polat Tuncer, owner of a jewelry shop in Datca, noted that Turkey
    and Datca has more potential for tourism.

    "We swim in the same sea and stare at the same sun with our neighbor
    Greeks, but they are much better than us at marketing their tourism
    potential," said the 37-year-old. "The Greek islands in the Aegean
    attract thousands of tourists from all around the world thanks to
    their nudist hotels. I think that it is time Turkey takes its share
    of this pie."

    Hasan Cine, who has been running a shop in the resort town for six
    years, thinks that such attempts should be supported. "The concept
    is not all about nudity, besides nudity is a reality in life," the
    32-year-old said. "How can people swimming naked in a pool in an
    enclosed area create problems for others?"

    Another shop owner said that since Turkey has gone through an
    "initiatives period" - such as the "democratic initiative" and the
    Armenian initiative" - having a hotel for nudists could be considered a
    "Datca initiative."

    "Just like it does not matter if people are black or white, young
    or old, it does not matter whether they are dressed up or naked in a
    private hotel," said Recep Kara, who has been running a barber shop
    in Datca for 20 years.

    "I'm happy with the new hotel, the most important thing is increasing
    the number of tourists visiting our town," he added.

    Orhan Gönul, a 57-year-old retiree who settled in Datca after working
    and living in Germany for more than 30 years, is also in favor of
    the nudist hotel concept.

    "Germany had nudist hotels when I was working there and it didn't do
    me any harm," said Gönul. "Today, millions of Turks work abroad.

    Aren't there nudist hotels in the countries they work in? What harm
    does it do?"

    Gönul supports the idea as long as the nudity stays behind closed
    doors. "Nudity in public is not acceptable anywhere around the world,"
    he said. "If this stays indoors, or only in the hotel area, I support
    Datca having a nudist hotel."
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