INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION FOR STANDARDISATION
ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DE NORMALISATION
ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11
CODING OF MOVING PICTURES AND AUDIO

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 29/WG 11 N9334

 October 2007

Source:	Leonardo Chiariglione- Convenor
Title:	83rd WG11 meeting notice

The 83rd MPEG Meeting will take place 14 – 18 January 2008 at

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya
Fevzi Cakmak Cad. No.30
TR-07100Antalya
Turkey
Tel: +90 (242) 248 68 00
Fax: +90 (242) 243 88 01

Please find additional information here

• Proposed agenda
• Logistic Information

Note that

1. Facilities fees will be charged on participants (see Logistic Information)
2. Some ad hoc groups will meet on the week end before the meeting.

Proposed agenda     

			Item
1			Opening
2			Roll call of participants
3			Approval of agenda
4			Allocation of contributions
5			Communications from Convenor
6			Report of previous meeting
7			Processing of NB Position Papers
8			Work plan management
	1	1	Media coding
		2	MPEG-4 Visual Simple Profile Level 6
		3	AAC-ELD
		4	New Profiles for Professional Applications
		5	Scalable Video Coding
		6	Multiview Video Coding
		7	Geometry and Shadow
		8	Binary Format for XML (Prefixes and Wild Card extensions)
		9	Bitstream Syntax Description Language
		10	Fixed point implementation of DCT/IDCT
		11	Video Tool Library
		12	Spatial Audio Object Coding
		13	Free Viewpoint TV coding
		14	Audio and speech coding
		15	Ontology
		16	Video coding exploration
	2		Composition coding
		1	Lightweight Scene Representation
	3		Description coding
		1	Schema definition
		2	Visual Descriptions Extensions
		3	Visual Signature Tools
		4	Technologies for digital photo management using MPEG-7 visual tools
		5	Improvements to Geographic Descriptor
		6	MPEG-7 Query Format
	4		Systems support
		1	Fragment Request Unit
	5		IPMP
		1	REL MAM (Mobile And optical Media) Profile
		2	REL DAC (Dissemination And Capture) Profile
		3	REL ORC (Open Release Content) Profile
		4	IPMP XML Messages
	6		Digital Item
		1	Schema files for MPEG-21 standards
		2	Security in Event Reporting
		3	Review of DI
	7		Transport and File formats
		1	Carriage of SVC in MPEG-2 Systems
		2	Transport of MPEG Surround data in AAC
		3	MP4FF box for Original Audio File Information
		4	File Format extensions for Description of Timed Metadata
		5	Flute Hint Track
		6	AVC File Format extensions for FRExt
		7	AVC File Format extensions for SVC
		8	AVC File Format extensions for MVC
		9	Digital Item File Format
		10	Digital Item Streaming
	8		Multimedia architecture
		1	Codec Configuration Representation
		2	3D Graphics Compression Models
		3	Media Streaming MAF Protocols
		4	IPTV
		5	Extensible Multimedia Platform
		6	Metaverse
	9		Application formats
		1	Musical Slide Show Application Format
		2	Media Streaming Application Format
		3	Professional Archival MAF
		4	Open Release Application Format
		5	Portable Video Player MAF
		6	Digital Multimedia Broadcasting Application Format
		7	Video Surveillance MAF
		8	Stereoscopic MAF
		9	Cross media interactive presentation
	10		Reference implementation
		1	Symbolic Music Representation Reference Software
		2	MPEG-1 and -2 on MPEG-4 Reference Software
		3	BSAC Extensions Reference Software
		4	Reference Hardware Description
		5	New Profiles for Professional Applications Reference Software
		6	SVC Reference Software
		7	File Format Reference Software
		8	Geometry and Shadow Reference Software
		9	Frame-based Animated Mesh Compression Reference Software
		10	MPEG-J GFX Reference Software
		11	LASeR Reference Software
		12	Open Font Format Reference Software
		13	MPEG-7 Systems Reference Software
		14	MPEG-21 REL Reference Software
		15	Photo Player MAF Reference Software
		16	Musical Slide Show MAF Reference Software
		17	Binary MPEG format for XML Reference Software
		18	Prefixes and wild card extensions Reference Software
		19	MPEG Surround Reference Software
		20	M3W Reference Software
	11		Conformance
		1	Audio BIFS v3 Conformance
		2	Symbolic Music Representation Conformance
		3	MPEG-4 Visual Simple Profile Level 6 Conformance
		4	New Profiles for Professional Applications Conformance
		5	SVC Profiles Conformance
		6	MPEG-1 and -2 Audio in MPEG-4 Conformance
		7	BSAC Conformance
		8	1-bit Oversampled Audio Conformance
		9	Audio Scalable to Lossless Conformance
		10	File Format Conformance
		11	Geometry & Shadow Conformance
		12	Frame-based Animated Mesh Compression Conformance
		13	MultiResolution Profile Conformance
		14	Synthesized Texture Conformance
		15	MPEG-J GFX Conformance
		16	Laser Conformance
		17	Open Font Format Conformance
		18	Perceptual 3D Shape Conformance
		19	Improvements to Geographic Descriptor Conformance
		20	Binary MPEG format for XML Conformance
		21	MPEG Surround Conformance
		22	M3W Conformance
		23	Video Tool Library Conformance
	12		Maintenance
		1	Systems coding standards
		2	Video coding standards
		3	Audio coding standards
		4	Visual description coding standards
		5	Audio description coding standards
		6	MDS standards
9			Organisation of this meeting
	1		Tasks for subgroups
	2		Joint meetings
10			WG management
	1		Terms of reference
	2		Officers
	3		Editors
	4		Liaisons
	5		Work item assignment
	6		Ad hoc groups
	7		Asset management
		1	Reference software
		2	Conformance
		3	Test material
		4	URI
	8		IPR management
	9		Work plan
11			Administrative matters
	1		Responses to National Bodies
	2		Schedule of future MPEG meetings
	3		Promotional activities
12			Resolutions of this meeting
13			A.O.B
14			Closing

 Logistic Information

Dates & Location   2

Location and dates  2

Hospitality desk  2

Social event  2

Fees  2

Registration and payment  2

Cancellation  2

Accommodation   2

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya (meeting venue) 2

Cender Hotel  2

The Marmara Antalya  2

Booking and payment  2

Block reservation  2

Check in/out hours  2

Cancellation   2

Meeting attendance cancellation policy  2

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya  2

Cender Hotel  2

The Marmara Antalya  2

Food & Beverage   2

In the morning  2

During the day  2

Dining in and out  2

Social event  2

Transportation   2

MPEG/JVT airport transfer service  2

The Marmara Antalya shuttle service  2

Local transportation  2

Rent a car  2

Internet   2

Wireless  2

Hi-Speed Internet in Guest Rooms  2

General Information   2

Visa to Turkey  2

Time Zone and Weather  2

Attire  2

Currency / Credit Cards  2

Public Telephones / Cellular Phones  2

Electricity  2

Tipping  2

Language  2

Water Quality  2

 

Dates & Location

Location and dates

The 83^rd MPEG and 26^th JVT meeting will be held at:

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya
Fevzi Cakmak Cad. No.30
TR- 07100 Antalya
Turkey
Tel: +90 (242) 248 68 00
Fax: +90 (242) 243 88 01

The meeting will be held from Monday, January 14, 2008 through Friday, January 18, 2008. The meeting will start on Monday January 14 2008 at 09:00.

Pre-meetings will take place on Sunday, January 13, 2008.

Hospitality desk

The meeting registration and hospitality desk will operate on Friday January 11 from 2pm to 6pm, and then from Saturday January 12 till Friday January 18 from 9am till 5pm every day. The staff at the desk will be happy to assist with any matter concerning the meeting as well as personal assistance such as providing local information and confirming return flights.

Social event

MPEG/JVT delegates and their companions are cordially invited to a gala evening on Wednesday, January 16, at 7:00 PM (exact location will be given).

Fees

Registration and payment

Attending the MPEG/JVT meeting requires payment of a meeting facility fee, as follows:

If paid on or before December 1, 2007: US$520

If paid after December 1, 2007: US$570

The fee includes lunch for all pre-meeting days, i.e. Saturday till Friday, as well as light dinner during the Friday plenary.

Payment by credit card is available through the meeting website. Regardless of when you supply the card details, your card will be charged not earlier than December 1, 2007.

We accept Visa, Master Card and American Express. However there is a 2% surcharge on payments with Amex.

Cancellation

Delegates are encouraged to register as early as possible. Credit cards will not be charged until December 1, 2007, and there will be no penalty on cancellation before that date.

In case meeting participation is cancelled after December 1, 2007, the facility fee payment will be credited less $50 handling charge.

Accommodation

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya (meeting venue)

The city of Antalya is strategically located in the heart of the Turkish Mediterranean. Divan Hotel Antalya Talya is situated by the beach, right in the city center.

Situated atop the cliffs overlooking Antalya Bay, with views of Bey Mountains, the hotel’s location is unmatched. Divan Antalya Talya is not only a 5-star hotel, but also a selected meeting place.

Guest rooms & amenities

Every guest room and suite is furnished for the utmost convenience and comfort. And each guest room has been elegantly appointed to meet your every day need. Each room amenities include the following:

Air conditioning

Balcony

Mini bar

Electronic safe

Hair dryer, telephone in the bathroom

Satellite and Cable TV, music broadcast

Direct telephone lines

High speed wire internet connection

Free wired hi-speed Internet access

Keycard system

24 hour room service

Non-smoking rooms

Hotel services

Relax, exercise, and indulge in unashamed pampering within the restful surroundings of the beachside location. Service highlights include:

Wireless Internet at the lobby and the beach area (free)

Business centre & secretary services

Concierge services

Outdoor swimming pool (heated)

Beach

Fitness center

Dry cleaning & ironing services

Turkish bath

Sauna, massage

Solarium

Beauty Center

Skin and body care

Tai, Bali & Relax massages

Parking lot

Rates

MPEG/JVT delegates who book at the Divan Hotel Antalya Talya through this website will get a preferred rate, as follows:

Room Category	Single Occupancy	Double Occupancy
Deluxe Room	USD 89	USD 104
Deluxe Corner Room	USD 139	USD 149
Executive Deluxe Room	USD 161	USD 178

Rates are per day in US$ including tax and breakfast buffet.

Cancellation terms

• Full payment is required through this website upon receiving a confirmation from the hotel, but not earlier than December 1, 2007.
• No cancellation penalty will be applied if booking is cancelled before December 1, 2007.
• In case of cancellation after December 1, 2007, the meeting organizer will return the cancelled room to the pool in order to meet new demand. If the room is taken by another delegate, the payment will be refunded less $50 handling fee. The following terms will be applied only if the room cannot be rebooked.
• Payments for rooms cancelled between December 1, 2007 and 14 days prior to arrival will be refunded less than a penalty equal to 1 night stay.
• There will be no refund if a booking is cancelled within 14 days prior to arrival or no show, and the room is not booked by another delegate.

Cender Hotel

The Cender Hotel is a simple but comfortable hotel, located only 7 minutes walk from the meeting venue. All its rooms have sea view and balconies.

Guest rooms & amenities

Air-conditioning

Satellite TV

Mini bar

4-channel music

Safe box

Bathtub

Hotel services

Burma Bar Queen’s Victoria Bar Fitness center Ping-pong Outdoor pool Children pool Turkish Bath Sauna Massage Billiards Children Playground TV Room Night Club Disco

Rates

MPEG/JVT delegates who book at the Cender Hotel through this website will get a preferred rate, as follows:

Room Category	Single Occupancy	Double Occupancy
Standard Room	USD 50	USD 63

Rates are per day in US$ including tax and breakfast buffet.

Cancellation terms

• Full payment is required through this website upon receiving a confirmation from the hotel, but not earlier than December 1, 2007.
• No cancellation penalty will be applied if booking is cancelled before December 1, 2007.
• Payments for rooms cancelled between December 1, 2007 and 24 hours prior to arrival will be refunded less than a penalty equal to 1 night stay.
• There will be no refund if a booking is cancelled within 24 hours prior to arrival or no show.

The Marmara Antalya

Located on the famous Falez cliffs with magnificent views of the Mediterranean, The Marmara Antalya offers the ideal surroundings and amenities for a holiday or corporate event. A slowly revolving section of the hotel is providing different views throughout the day with its private beach. The informal

atmosphere centered on the Tuti Floor common living space sets the tone for comfort and design found throughout hotel. The Marmara Antalya is unique in its location for its quality service, creative gourmet dining, diverse entertainment and comforting style.

The Marmara Antalya is located 15 minutes drive from the meeting venue. A free shuttle service between the hotel and the meeting venue will serve the MPEG/JVT delegates.

Guest rooms & amenities

Spacious, contemporary design, natural setting and the world's only revolving hotel

The Marmara Antalya is a completely new resort hotel consisting of two modern buildings with rooms and interiors decorated by the famed French designer Christian Allart. Designed to lofty standards to insure the utmost of comfort and convenience, The Marmara Antalya's rich interiors provide a soothing backdrop to your stay on the Turquoise coast.

The Marmara Antalya's cool white main building, the hub of the hotel, consists of a total of 208 rooms.

The Marmara Antalya's second building continues the design excellence equated with The Marmara Hotels with the truly unique 'Revolving Loft', the first and only revolving hotel in the world. The 24 rooms of the "Revolving Loft" contain the rich colors and pleasant textures of Christian Allart's original designs.

All of The Marmara Antalya's rooms are arranged to provide a calm and relaxed setting with our oversized rooms additionally offering large living areas for family and guests. All of our rooms include a sofa that can be converted into an extra bed. The hotel also provides non-smoking rooms and rooms for the disabled.

Hotel services

Free high-speed Internet connection is rooms (wired) and public area (wireless)

Outdoor pool

Inflatable pools

Open-air Jacuzzi

Wellness center

Turkish bath

Massage

Solarium

Stream rooms

Shock shower

Sauna

Recreation rooms

Balinese massage cabins

Beach disco

Rates

MPEG/JVT delegates who book at the Marmara Antalya through this website will get a preferred rate, as follows:

Room Category	Single Occupancy	Double Occupancy	Triple Occupancy
City view	USD 97	USD 133	USD 179
Sea view	USD 113	USD 167	USD 230
Revolving loft	USD 152	USD 247	N/A

Rates are per day in US$ including tax and breakfast buffet.

Cancellation terms

• Full payment is required through this website upon receiving a confirmation from the hotel, but no earlier than December 1, 2007.
• No cancellation penalty will be applied if booking is cancelled before December 1, 2007.
• In case of cancellation after December 1, 2007, the meeting organizer will return the cancelled room to the pool in order to meet new demand. If the room is taken by another delegate, the payment will be refunded less $50 handling fee. The following terms will be applied only if the room cannot be rebooked.
• Payments for rooms cancelled between December 1, 2007 and 7 days prior to arrival will be refunded less than a penalty equal to 1 night stay.

• There will be no refund if a booking is cancelled within 7 days prior to arrival or no show, and the room is not booked by another delegate.

Booking and payment

To book and pay for accommodation at the preferred MPEG rate, please use the Registration & Booking form on this site. The following terms apply:

• Bookings made through this site are not confirmed automatically. Your request will be sent to the hotel, which will send a confirmation email directly to your email address.
• A full credit card payment is required through this website. The payment will be executed upon receiving the confirmation from the hotel, but no earlier than December 1, 2007.
• Please allow 72 hours for hotel confirmation before enquiring us.
• Please see above cancellation terms for each hotel.

Block reservation

Please be advised that the meeting venue, Divan Hotel Talya Antalya, as well as the budget Cender Hotel have pretty limited accommodation capacity, and rooms will be available on first-comes first-served basis only. Early registration and booking is therefore strongly recommended. Please note that early registration and booking is risk-free, as there will be no credit card processing or cancellation penalty before December 1, 2007.

Check in/out hours

Rooms confirmed will generally be available for occupancy after 2pm on the date of arrival. Requests for early check-in before 2pm will be confirmed at the Hotel’s discretion and subject to availability. Please use the booking form to apply for early check-in as well as any other special requests.

All delegates are required to vacate their rooms by noon (12:00) on the day of departure unless prior arrangements for late check-out have been approved in writing by the Hotel. The Hotel will be flexible with late check-out requests subject to space availability.

Cancellation

Meeting attendance cancellation policy

·        The credit card you supply upon registration will be used to collect the meeting facility fee. Your credit card will not be processed before December 1, 2007, and until that date your registration may be cancelled with no penalty.

·        Once the credit card is processed you will still be able to cancel, and the meeting fee will be returned less $50 handling charge.

Divan Hotel Antalya Talya

·        Full payment is required through this website upon receiving a confirmation from the hotel, but not earlier than December 1, 2007.

·        No cancellation penalty will be applied if booking is cancelled before December 1, 2007.

·        In case of cancellation after December 1, 2007, the meeting organizer will return the cancelled room to the pool in order to meet new demand. If the room is taken by another delegate, the payment will be refunded less $50 handling fee. The following terms will be applied only if the room cannot be rebooked.

·        Payments for rooms cancelled between December 1, 2007 and 14 days prior to arrival will be refunded less than a penalty equal to 1 night stay.

·        There will be no refund if a booking is cancelled within 14 days prior to arrival or no show, and the room is not booked by another delegate.

Cender Hotel

·        Full payment is required through this website upon receiving a confirmation from the hotel, but not earlier than December 1, 2007.

·        No cancellation penalty will be applied if booking is cancelled before December 1, 2007.

·        Payments for rooms cancelled between December 1, 2007 and 24 hours prior to arrival will be refunded less than a penalty equal to 1 night stay.

·        There will be no refund if a booking is cancelled within 24 hours prior to arrival or no show.

The Marmara Antalya

• Full payment is required through this website upon receiving a confirmation from the hotel, but no earlier than December 1, 2007.
• No cancellation penalty will be applied if booking is cancelled before December 1, 2007.
• In case of cancellation after December 1, 2007, the meeting organizer will return the cancelled room to the pool in order to meet new demand. If the room is taken by another delegate, the payment will be refunded less $50 handling fee. The following terms will be applied only if the room cannot be rebooked.
• Payments for rooms cancelled between December 1, 2007 and 7 days prior to arrival will be refunded less than a penalty equal to 1 night stay.

• There will be no refund if a booking is cancelled within 7 days prior to arrival or no show, and the room is not booked by another delegate.

Food & Beverage

Turkey is well known for its rich selection of food, which makes it very meaningful to make a culinary exploration of the country. The Turks do not have one main Turkish dish like the French sauce or the Italian pasta but they perfected their dishes to an excellent expertise that reproduce their enhancement of ethnicity. Turkey has a long range of prehistoric recipes that was perfected by the chefs who were eager to satisfy the Sultans. The dishes are simple in appearance, its natural flavors not veiled by sauces.

In the morning

The Divan Hotel, The Cender Hotel and The Marmara Hotel’s room rate when booking through this site includes an extravagant breakfast buffet.

During the day

Lunch and coffee breaks will be served to the MPEG/JVT meeting delegates from Saturday till Friday. Light dinner will be served during the plenary on Friday evening.

Dining in and out

The Divan Hotel features 6 top-class restaurants and lounges.

Only 15 minutes walk from meeting venue you will find the award-winning restoration area that has made this one of the most attractive marinas in Turkey. Along with yacht moorings, the marina contains many shops and restaurants.

Social event

MPEG/JVT delegates and their companions are cordially invited to a gala evening on Wednesday, January 16 at 7:00 PM (exact location will be given), offered with the kind support of Beko Elektronik A.S.

Transportation

Antalya International Airport is 10 km (6 miles) east of the city center. The airport built to accommodate the millions of passengers who come to Turkey’s Mediterranean beaches in high summer. The airport has two international terminals and one domestic terminal. Airline companies use Terminal I or Terminal II, and they’ll tell you which they use so you can find your way back to it when it’s time to fly home.

MPEG/JVT airport transfer service

A special service for the MPEG/JVT delegates between the airport and the meeting venue will operate before, during and after the meeting. The service will be scheduled according to arrival and departure times of individual delegates, as reported in the Registration and Booking form.

The cost of the airport transfer service is $15 per way, payable in cash directly to the driver. The driver will accept notes of US Dollars ($15), Euro (10 Euro), or New Turkish Liras (20 YTL).

Upon arrival, a person carrying an MPEG sign will be waiting for the delegates at the exit of the Customs area. The hospitality desk at the meeting venue will give information about the departure service.

The Marmara Antalya shuttle service

A free shuttle service will operate between the Marmara Antalya Hotel and the meeting venue from Monday January 14 till Friday January 18 on the hours 8:30 - 10:30 and 17:00 - 21:00, at frequency of around 30 minutes. For more details please enquire at the registration desk.

Local transportation

There are three different public transportation options in Antalya and visitors are encouraged to make use of a combination of all three of them in order to meet their internal travel needs.   For the most part, though, the public bus system is the best method of getting to most areas of Antalya.

One public transportation option which visitors might be hesitant to use only because it is somewhat uncommon in many travel destinations is theDolmus. The Dolmus is a perfectly legitimate and efficient mode of transportation and visitors are encouraged to try it, not only for the purpose of conveniently getting around Antalya but also for the experience of local travel. The Dolmus is essentially a large van which travels a specific route, leaving from a station very similar to a bus. There are specific routes but there are not specific scheduled times of arrival and departure because the way the Dolumus works is that the driver will wait until the Dolmus is full and then leave on the route. This can be both convenient and inconvenient depending upon the passenger traffic.

The third method of transportation is the train, which goes to a limited number of locations but is useful for tourists because it does hit many major attractions, such s the Antalya Museum. It is a single line with two different trains, one running in each direction. They leave every half hour and cost less than $1 per ride, so they are inexpensive and convenient for certain destinations.

Rent a car

Rental cars are available from local and international companies. Driving in Turkey is on the right and is an experience for the adventurous.

Internet

Wireless

Wireless (Wi-Fi) Internet connection will be available throughout the convention area all day from Saturday January 12 till Friday January 18.

Some breakout rooms are located outside the convention area and will not be covered by the MPEG- dedicated wireless network. Most of these rooms will still be covered by the hotel’s network.

The usage of the free MPEG network requires configuration of the network adaptor with SSID and password. Details will be given here in due time.

Important note!: Due to infrastructure constraints in Turkey, the total bandwidth usable to the MPEG delegates will be far from optimum. The delegates are kindly requested to practice consideration and to avoid heavy downloads and video consumption.

Hi-Speed Internet in Guest Rooms

Internet connection through a LAN port is now FREE in all Divan Hotel Antalya Talya’s guest rooms.

General Information

Visa to Turkey

Visitors usually are not required to present an entry visa to Turkey if coming as tourists. A 3-month visa-on-arrival is given at the Immigration counter upon arrival. Business travelers or visitors from some countries are required to obtain an entry visa before arriving in Turkey. In case of doubt, please enquire with your travel agent, the Turkish Embassy or Consulate in your country.

If you need an invitation letter in order to get a visa for Turkey, please apply in the “message for the organizers” area of the Registration & Booking form.

Time Zone and Weather

The time zone across the country is GMT+2. Antalya is a place with a relatively mild climate, known for being sunny most of the year. The rainy season is in the winter, although the rain usually only lasts for about three weeks once the rainy season hits. Snow is very rare. The rainy season may come anytime between October and April.  The coldest months are January and February, but it still not particularly cold in comparison with many other parts of the world at that time; average winter temperatures are around 4°C (40°F) for low temperatures and 15°C (60°F) for high temperatures.

Attire

Turkish people appreciate stylish business clothing, but MPEG is fun, not business. By good manners avoid shorts and slippers in the convention and dining areas of the hotel.

Currency / Credit Cards

Local currency is the New Turkish Lira (YTL). The Euro, and sometimes also the US Dollar, are widely accepted (yet the rate charge may be high, so it is recommended to exchange at a bank or an exchange counter). The current exchange rate is around 1 USD = 1.2 YTL, volatile as the current currency market is. All major credit cards are accepted by hotels, shops and restaurants. ATMs (accepting international cards), banks and currency exchange offices are around every corner.

Public Telephones / Cellular Phones

Public telephones are conveniently located throughout the city. They work with telephone cards of 30, 60 and 100 counter. For a short international call one 30 counter card might be enough. You could buy these cards in yellow signed PTT (post) bureaus, grocers or street sellers near the telephone and in some hotels from the concierge.

For using your personal cellular phone in Turkey, please be advised that the GSM system (900/1800) is operated by several operators. We suggest inquiring with your local network provider whether they have an agreement with operators in Turkey.

Electricity

Turkey has 220 Volts, 50 Hz electricity supply. A two round-pin plug (European) can be used everywhere.

Tipping

In cheaper restaurant it is not necessary to leave more than a few coins in the change plate. In more expensive restaurants, tipping is customary. Even if a 10-15% service charge is added to your bill, you are expected to give around 5% to the waiter directly.

Language

The Turkish people speak Turkish written with the Latin alphabet. English is a compulsory school subject and you will find your way around, especially among people whose main business is dealing with tourists. All important road and shop signs are written also in English. Due the popularity of Antalya among German tourists, there are many, especially those who deal with tourists, who speak German as well.

Water Quality

Although not critical, it is recommended to avoid drinking tap water. In most hotel rooms, you will find free-of-charge bottles of drinking water.