Cristal Targets 8 Hotels in Turkey Within Next 3 Years

Abu Dhabi-based Cristal Hospitality has set up an office in Turkey in a bid to capitalise on the explosive growth of the country’s accommodation sector.

Mr. Peter Blackburn, President and CEO of Cristal Hospitality, said the group has set a target of opening 8 new hotels in Turkey within three years encompassing all four of its brands.

“With the backing of a prominent local partner, we think this is a realistic ambition given the bullish growth the hospitality sector in Turkey is currently experiencing,” Mr Blackburn said.

With more than 40 million leisure and business tourists in 2014, Turkey is rated as the sixth most visited country worldwide and the government aims to grow this by 50% as the country develops in areas including medical, cultural, sports and wellness tourism, as well as its traditional city break and beach sectors.

“Istanbul itself boasts more than 800 properties with nearly 5,000 rooms under development, but as well as looking at this city, we will be seeking opportunities in secondary destinations plus the mid-market sector which is under-served by international brands,” Mr Blackburn added.

The projected opening of the new Istanbul airport in 2017 will give Turkey a gateway that will be one of the largest airports in Europe with a potential capacity of 150 million passengers a year.

“In addition to unlimited tourist attractions, Turkey is developing as a financial and manufacturing centre, with projects such as the Istanbul International Finance Centre set to attract more commercial ventures into the city – all of which will spur the need for additional accommodation options both in Istanbul and throughout the country,” said Mr Blackburn.