Belek Tourism Investors Union (BETUYAB) was established in 1989 by the tourism investors getting their first assignments, in accordance with the assignment provision that is made as the preliminary condition of the final assignment and that stipulates being a member to the union / institution / establishment to be founded obligatory, with the aim of solving the infrastructure problems in Belek Tourism Center with the cooperation of Public - Private Sector. Later, the establishments getting their assignments have become a member / partner to the Union in question in accordance with the same final assignment preliminary condition.

The union has been founded as a limited company in order to form a more dynamic structure and due to some deficiencies of the law regarding foundation of a union. Later in 1991, the status of the firm has been changed into a joint stock company, within the knowledge of Turkish Republic Ministry of Tourism. Chairman of BETUYAB is Mr. Fikret Öztürk, Vice Chairman is Mr.Cemil Uğurlu, Board Members are Mr. İsmet Güral, Mr. Metin Kaya, Mr. Ali Akkanat, Mr. Ayhan Akan Aktaş, Mr. Cihangir Kubilay, Mr. Fettah Tamince,Mr. Nihat Özdemir, Mr. Ece Tonbul, Mr. İbrahim Pektaş, Hayrettin Özaltın, Mehmet Aygün.

After the completion of infrastructure and superstructure, three main duties of BETUYAB has been formed as a base. These are determined as introduction, struggle with Mosquitoes, houseflies, and sand flies and environment activities.

BETUYAB spends approximately 300.000 EURO from its budget to this issue every year. The researches in this issue forms from participating in the local and foreign tourism fairs, giving declarations and advertisements to local and foreign newspapers, magazines, brochures and TVs, public relations and treating with respect the press members. In the last five years BETUYAB has participated in Berlin, London, Moscow St. Petersburg, Vienna, Milan, Prague, Götebourg, Utrecht, Helsinki, Warsaw and Poznan tourism fairs, Incentive fair in Geneva, catalogue introduction fair in Frankfurt, Volvo PGA golf tournaments, which is one of the most important golf tournaments in the world, in Ventworth that is a place near London. Belek region has been introduced by organizing a Turkish week for 7 days in Tyumen city in West Siberia. Moreover, EMITT Istanbul has participated in Eastern Mediterranean international tourism fair with a big stand.

In addition to these introduction activities, contact has been made with 16.000 German and 700 Australian travel agency through infox channel as BETUYAB during the crisis we faced in tourism 1999 and it has been stated that there was no difficulty in the issue of security in Turkey and that they could have holiday in Turkey like in other tourism centers. Moreover, about 60 German- 50 Russian well-known journalist, columnist and superior press establishment authority have been treated with respect as a guest in Belek region and they have been given the opportunity of making investigations freely. Thus, an environment has been created for them to tell that there aren't any difficulties in the issue of security in Antalya and Belek, and that they have spent a comfortable and peaceful holiday to their friends when they return to their countries.

In 1991, in cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and the Hacettepe University, in the framework of scientific research projects, an integrated disinfestation research project had started in Belek, near Antalya, which counts among the important tourism centers of Turkey. The project was completed in 1994. Under guidance of the Department of Biology of the Hacettepe University, BETUYAB has continued the management of mosquitos, black flies and sandflies since 1994 with its own resources. In order to protect the environment, since 1998, biologic preparations have been used for the disinfestation. The disinfestation zone comprises an area of 270 km2. Every year, BETUYAB spends around 300.000 Euro of its budget alone on this matter, whereas only 4% of the application zone is in the responsibility of the Tourism Investors of Belek and 96% is under the responsibility of local governmental institutions. However, for many years, BETUYAB had been alone to pursue the disinfestation in the entire region. As a result of this disinfestation, a reduction of 85 to 90% of the mosquito population could be determined.

As a private sector institution, the Belek Tourism Investors Association (BETUYAB) is an institution that shows the environment the necessary respect, in fact, it is the most important institution in this regard. During every project implemented in the Belek Tourism Center, respect for the environment and a scientific approach were priority. In the light of the data that were collected as a result of the scientific research between 1989 and 1994, it served as an application model for integrated disinfestation in areas with similar climatic and ecological characteristics.

Using consultancy services provided by different universities, the wildlife diversity inventory of the Belek Tourism Center has been revealed and the “Belek 2000” project consisting of 52 sub-projects has been prepared. 574 plants, 29 endemic plants (that can only be found in Turkey), 1 relic endemic plant, the Pear of Serik (pyrus serikensis) has been discovered that can only be found in Belek and nowhere else in the world. In the area of Belek that constitutes a save area for birds, there are over 120 bird species. (This number accounts for ¼ of the bird species in entire Turkey.)

The shores of the area are one of the important nesting areas for seaturtles (caretta caretta). Making use of consultancy services from the Hacettepe University, in 1999, BETUYAB started the use and protection projects named “Belek seaturtles 1999, 2000 and 2001” along the 30 km shoreline with the goal to serve as an international example. In 2000 the official request for proposals for scientific projects of the Turkish Ministry for the Environment was won by BETUYAB and was completed after a two-year research project time by the end of 2001. Since then, the project has been run by BETUYAB in cooperation with the Hacettepe University.

In order to protect and to inform about local plant and bird species, the books “100 Birds of Belek”, “250 Plants of Belek” and “20 Endemic Plants of Belek” were printed and distributed for free. The books in question were Turkey’s first eco-guides. Some of these projects, realized despite insufficient resources, won international awards for the Belek Tourism Center. The Belek Tourism Investors Association (BETUYAB) won the second prize of British Airways’ international environmental and tourism competition “Tourism for Tomorrow Awards” among 115 projects from 41 European countries and the first prize of the competition for the world’s most successful and exemplary projects organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

The shores within the Belek Tourism Center are awarded with the “Blue Flag Environmental Honor” and are presented by the Turkish Environmental Education Foundation (TÜRÇEV) as exemplary projects. In 1999, BETUYAB received the TÜRÇEV “Thank You” certificate for its activities.

Hydrants sponsored by the Kalkınma Holding A.Ş. were placed in the forests for immediate intervention against fires. Later, the pump powers of the hydrants were increased. In 1996 a fire truck was bought and placed in service. In the same year, all touristics facilities were connected to an emergency trunk system with connection to the Local Forest Authorities, the gendarmerie and BETUYAB providing the possibility to fight fires without delay. The forest was surrounded with a 35 km wire fence and doors were installed trying to take the forest under control.

Between 1997 and 2005, a total of 70 forest fires that seriously endangered the touristic facilities to the South were immediately put down. Thus, until 2005, the forest areas could be protected. In 2004, with the assignment of these areas to golf and accommodation facilities by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the respective investors resumed the protection of the forest.

Moreover, the Belek fire station operated by the fire fighters of the provincial directorate of the Ministry of Forestry has been installed by BETUYAB as well. In order to allow the station to serve the entire city of Antalya, one heliport, social units (dining hall, dormitory etc), accommodation units and residential units for pilots and managers were created.

To make sure that BETUYAB can fight fires not only in the area of Belek but in the entire region of Antalya, BETUYAB joined the fire fighting campaign of the Ministry of Forestry and had two fire pools of 10 x 12 m built in 2007 in the Gebiz and Kırbaş locations in Antalya’s district of Serik.

POTABLE WATER : The Boztepe Tigem farm is the drinking water source of the area. From a total of 8 draw wells 667 lt/second very high quality potable water is pumped in the 5 potable water depots in the area of 3.000 tons each.

PURIFICATION PLANTS : The first purification plant of the area serves a capacity of a population of 65.500 persons, the second one a capacity of 115.000 persons. The sewage systems of two municipalities in the region (Belek and Kadriye) have been connected to these purification plants.

ROADS : The roads have a total length of 45,5 km and were initially built by the 13th District Office of the Turkish General Directorate of Highways as shallow covering. As a result of conferences with the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and the Governorship of Antalya, first the part of the Antalya-Alanya road from the Belek branch-off until the gendarme station, and then with undertakings in 2003 and 2004 the entire inner and outer roads of the area were covered with hot mix asphalt. In 2006 the last remaining roads to the most recent assignments were covered with hot mix asphalt and 19.000 meters sidewalk were built by the 13th District Office of the Turkish General Directorate of Highways with the financial resources provided by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In 2013 a 6.400 meters road section of the D 400 highway leading to the Belek Tourism Center over the Kadriye Municipality was constructed as a two-way road. Most recently, in 2015, prior to the G20 Summit the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality built approximately 6.500 meters of rainwater drainage line that connects small ways to the main line, and had sidewalk and road reparation works effected.

ELECTRIFICATION : The energy investments of the area were made to 1/3rd each by the Ministry of Tourism, the Kepez A.Ş. and BETUYAB and effected by the Kepez A.Ş. securing the energy supply of the touristic facilities as well as the road lighting. The installed power of the area is 200.000 Kw/hour. In 2006 a project was prepared and approved by the energy supply company Tedaş, aiming to run all overhead power supply lines underground. In 2006, the first part of this work had been effected and in 2015 prior to the G20 Summit, while in the Üçkumtepesi and İskele areas the works were only effected for small ways, the 3 main power suppy lines of the area were connected to the lines underground.

TELECOMMUNICATION : The initial copper cables and the fiber optic communication cable and switchboard building investments were effected by the Turkish Post, Telegraph and Telephone Office (PTT) with a 1/3rd contribution each by the PTT, the Turkish Ministry of Tourism and BETUYAB and each facility obtained the opportunity to benefit from a capacity of 25 lines.

In the years to follow, in cooperation with the Türk Telekomünikasyon A.Ş, fiber optic lines were lead as far as to the hotel entrances against the procurement of services. In 2015 prior to the G20 Leaders Summit, while the Türk Telekom company reinforced its entire infrastructure, the other telecommunication companies created their own fiber infrastructure in the area.

SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM : The security camera system installed by the city administration in 2009 in our region with the infrastructure contribution of our tourism partners has been used for many years in the Belek gendarme office. However, because of defects or maintenance requirements, it could not be operated in good order. In the context of the investments prior to the G20 Leaders Summit, a mobese (mobile electronic system integration) camera infrastructure was created in association with the city of Antalya.

To make Belek an international brand in tourism with the atmosphere it creates thanks to its natural beauty, its touristic diversity that responds to many different needs, its sustainable tourism potential and the high quality services it provides at its facilities; to become one of the most favoured destinations in the Mediterranean region with regard to its tourist numbers and income, by welcoming more tourists in quantity and quality.

With our aim to make Belek an international brand, to lead the infrastructure, environmental and promotional activities in coordination with the public sector and to implement each project with the use and protection principle. To develop projects that protect Belek’s own wildlife characteristics, to support these projects, to generate solution proposals for topics that negatively effect touristic goals and to share these with social shareholders, to be a role model for other tourism centers and associations as first example of the cooperation of the public and private sectors.