Fifty years of serving tourists
Güncelleme Tarihi:
ISTANBUL - An honorary consul general is someone who is appointed by the presidents of the countries who sends and accepts them and doesn’t receive a salary and there is no immunity but there is endless respect. And while using their material and immaterial possibilities, they try to carry out their duties in the best possible way. "There are honorable titles that a person in life can have whether politician or businessman," Boytüzün says.
Nihat Boytüzün may be 79 years old but you’d never guess it because he has so much energy. Grey hair, light brown eyes, tall and an easy smile and many stories to tell. He studied electrical engineering and served in the naval reserve, only starting Kamera in 1959. Kamera which was recently sold specialized in tourism and travel, advertising and public relations, representing foreign industrial and commercial companies in
Usually an honorary consulship is offered by the Turkish government to some one who is able to meet conditions such as prominence, experience, money.
The process usually means a foreign government that does not have a representative in a specific country or in a significant city requests that that country appoint someone to be its honorary consul. If the president and Ministry of Foreign Affairs agree, they will ask through the provincial governor for recommendations. The governor then selects someone and if after being asked that person agrees, then the recommendation goes back to the Ministry and the President. Finally the foreign country has to agree.
An honorary consul attends diplomatic receptions and dinners, for example, on the national days of the various countries. He or she is expected to be able to afford to hold a reception on the national day of the country he represents. He provides information to the nationals of that country and helps them if they are in trouble. He usually does not issue visas.
Nihat Boytüzün is one of the good examples of a honorary consul as he has served as the honorary consul of
"There are honorable titles that a person in life can have whether politician or diplomat or famous businessman," Boytüzün told the Daily News. "In my opinion one of the most honorable of these is the title and duty of honorary consul general. I had the honor to represent
Arriving at success
What made Boytüzün successful? He advises people to program their days, weeks, even months by which he believes that one can reach any goal set. While the word opportunist has a bad connotation, seizing an opportunity that presents itself and is in line with one’s goals can’t be a bad thing. Certainly Boytüzün has done so. From being given a chance to have two first-class around-the-world airline tickets, he contacted many of the embassies in Ankara, discovered a business in the Far East that would work very well in Turkey (outside advertising) and met an oil company owner who hired him to represent his interests in Turkey. He never looked back. You can do it too if you recognize that an opportunity has presented itself and you set up a disciplined program and goals.
Boytüzün would also recommend that everyone should work at something they enjoy and not continue with something they don’t like. But it is to work hard if you want to win big. Never believe that you have reached the point where you know it all.
According to Boytüzün, "young Turkish people should learn three languages and primarily English. I learned mine on the streets but however I climbed the steps of success it was through English and I strongly recommend this. The way to establish relations with the world is through knowing a language because the world is shrinking with today’s technology."
Openly proud of being 79 years and in good health, he says he can look back at having introduced a number of "firsts" into
When asked how he liked working in the tourism sector, Boytüzün told the Daily News that the horizon and possibilities in tourism were multiple and contained 37 separate professional groups within its structure. "To love tourism is to love people, nature, life. It provides a way to share with the people in the world life, culture, relations, peace, friendship, science and the exchange of knowledge and ideas as well as culture. There are many aspects of tourism to love."
Since Boytüzün has now spent 50 years in
As for the future of tourism in Turkey Boytüzün is very optimistic about it but it needs to be promoted. He says, "PROMOTION-PROMOTION-PROMOTION. Do this, don’t get mixed up in the past. We have heard that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has set aside $150 million for promotion - it’s so little, so little. In 2010
Do you know what kind of people you like and dislike? Boytüzün does. "I hate ungrateful people. I like a man of his word, industrious, attached to his family and his country and who looks after his health and likes people. I try to establish friendship with these kinds of people."
Perhaps one would be able to guess that Boytüzün would like alaturca style music. When you observe him, you see that he punctuates his conversation with waves of his cigar, takes telephone calls, keeps his door open so people come in and out with questions and enthusiastically talks about his business
On the other hand he believes music is a necessity of life. "I miss the songs of the fasil groups. In past times there were nightclubs and my late wife Hepsen and I would take our place at a table early on. We would greet our musician friends in the fasil group and listen to them while they played. Later the main soloists would come out. I love old alaturka and alafranga music. It happens that I haven’t even heard the names of the artists that my grandchildren approve of. How may I say, let’s say that age and time ruins pleasures and colors." When you think of it, you realize that Boytüzün has traveled a lot. But he is very reluctant to speak. "Yes, I’ve traveled a lot, because of UFTAA’s world congresses, we have held 42 annual congresses in 42 countries. Fifteen to 20 times I’ve made a special world tour. I am still the Turkish representative for Air