By Seth Danquah GNA, special correspondent, Antalya (Turkey)
Antalya (Turkey), Oct. 27, GNA – Mr Dimitris Manikis, President of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), has said resilience in the face of uncertainty is the defining factor for navigating crises in the hospitality industry.
He said resilience was key to managing crises in the hospitality sector.
Speaking during a panel discussion titled “The Future of Tourism Technologies” at the Antalya Tourism Fair 2026, Mr Manikis highlighted the necessity for industry leaders to remain steadfast and clear-headed during turbulent times.
“Resilience in crisis means not focusing on the noise people make during the crisis, but keeping focus and making sure that things are in place,” he said, drawing on his more than 30 years of experience in global hospitality.
Reflecting on investment in the region, Mr Manikis recalled the group’s initial decision to venture into the Turkish market with the objective of building high-quality facilities that would elevate Turkey into an internationally recognised top-tier destination.
He acknowledged that early on, the hospitality landscape faced significant hurdles, as hotels were few and negative indicators persisted.
However, he said public sector investments played a pivotal role in changing the trajectory.
“Our government also invested heavily in highways, infrastructure, airports and roads, which hitherto were in poor condition,” he said.
He emphasised the need for synergy between public infrastructure development and private sector growth.
“Today, those challenges have been transformed into major achievements. Turkey now stands among the top global destinations in terms of both quality of service and sheer volume of visitors,” he noted.
Beyond infrastructure, Mr Manikis underscored Turkey’s competitive advantages, particularly its climate and diverse natural landscapes.
“Other countries are really cold, and people wanted to go elsewhere because there was no sun in their country, but we have sun here. We have the sea, the good weather and the natural elevations. These beauties are ours and we need to utilise them,” he said.
He cautioned that natural beauty and modern facilities alone were not enough to sustain long-term success, as the true backbone of the hospitality sector remained its people.
He said the job of investors was directly associated with human resources, noting that even if the facility was good and service was poor, sustainability would not be possible.
He called on industry leaders to invest heavily in training and retaining human talent and ensuring that guest expectations were consistently met or exceeded on international platforms, to create memorable experiences that turn first-time visitors into repeat guests.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter Seth Danquah
sethdanquah20@ gmail.com