Our Founder | Murat MALLI

Born in Denizli, Türkiye in 1978, Murat Mallı is married with two children and fluent in English, both spoken and written.

🎓 Education and Academic Background

After completing his primary and secondary education in Denizli, he graduated from Akköy Anatolian Hospitality and Tourism Vocational High School with a specialization in Service and Bar Management. He continued his higher education at Başkent University, earning a degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management, followed by a Business Administration degree from Anadolu University’s Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences. He later completed his Master’s degree at Dokuz Eylül University’s Faculty of Maritime Studies, earning the title of Marine Tourism Specialist. Currently, he continues to expand his academic perspective through the Design Thinking program at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ).

🧭 Professional Experience

Murat’s professional journey spans both academia and the private sector. He spent nearly a decade as a Lecturer in Travel Management at Muğla University’s Faculty of Tourism, while simultaneously advancing his corporate career. Having lived in Fethiye for over 25 years, he served as Regional Director for a local travel agency for nine years before joining a leading global online tourism company as a Contract Manager, overseeing operations across four countries for three years.

🏢 Organizational Roles and Industry Engagement

Actively involved in shaping Türkiye’s tourism landscape, Murat served as Vice President of the Incoming Tourism Specialty Committee during the 24th term of TÜRSAB (Association of Turkish Travel Agencies) and hosted several programs on TÜRSAB-TV. He is also the Founder and Inaugural President of the Fethiye Central Hotel Association (FETMOD), contributing to regional tourism collaboration and professional development.

🌍 Entrepreneurship and Vision

Today, Murat is the Founder of LookBookHoliday, a company that became part of the Estonia-based Kolibri Travel Group in 2025, where he serves as Strategic Advisor. He is also the visionary entrepreneur behind several distinctive concepts that helped redefine Fethiye’s urban hospitality experience — Downtown Fethiye Hostel & Rooms, Türkiye’s first design-focused POD-BED hotel; Downtown Fethiye Suites, the city’s first serviced apartment-style hotel; and the boutique Fincan Café, a local favorite known for its authentic character and community-driven spirit. In addition, he has served as Area Development Manager for Best Western Hotels in Türkiye & OTS, and as a Sales Development Consultant for various international hotel management and travel technology companies.

🎨 Art, Photography, and Writing

A passionate photographer and painter, Murat has received awards in various photography competitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions.
He is an Honorary Member of FEFSAD (Fethiye Photography and Film Art Association) and a Collector of Certified Paintings. His travel and tourism articles, enriched with photographs taken in Türkiye and abroad, have been featured in many prominent publications and continue to appear regularly.

⚓ Maritime Heritage and Passion

Murat also has a deep passion for preserving maritime heritage. He restored the historic “Maviş” boat, an important part of Türkiye’s maritime legacy, and succeeded in having it officially registered as Türkiye’s 90th cultural heritage vessel by the Classic Boats Platform (KTP). As an amateur captain, he proudly returned Maviş to the sea, where it continues to sail as a living testament to Turkish nautical history.