KAHINI CHAKRABORTY – Mumbai
The Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism in association with Turkish Hotelier Federation organised a five-city roadshow in Mumbai, Bengaluru; Chennai; Hyderabad and Delhi. The aim of organising the roadshow was to increase awareness and educate the Indian travel agents about wedding, golf and honeymoon destinations in Turkey. Talking to Express TravelWorld on the sidelines of the event, Özgür Aytürk, culture and tourism counsellor, Turkey said, “Turkey has been famous for its cultural and historical attractions, but now we are looking at focusing on attracting wedding, honeymoon and golf segment. Our India plans for the coming year would include attending regular trade events, conducting roadshows and other promotional activities. Having said that, this is the first time that the Turkish Hotelier Federation is here for the event. The main aim of bringing the federation was to provide them a good platform for a better understanding of the India market along with showcasing their properties to travel agents. For the coming year we have also increased our promotional budget which has been earmarked for US$ two million.”
Ceylan Ozen Erisen, consul general, Turkish Consulate, Mumbai said, “Turkey as a destination has diverse attractions. We would also like to attract Bollywood and host more sporting events for Indians.”
In 2011, Turkey received 31.4 million foreign tourists of which 74,000 were from India. In 2012, from January to September, the arrivals from India reached 66,700. Turkey is also expecting a 20 per cent growth in the future.
