Emirates, Turkish tourism agency forge partnership to boost tourism

By Kerem Alp Eren Kaya

ISTANBUL (AA) - Emirates airline signed a collaboration agreement Monday with the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) to support tourism.

According to a statement, Emirates and TGA will collaborate to promote tourism to Türkiye and increase passenger traffic from key markets in the airline's global network of over 140 destinations. The agreement aims to further enhance Türkiye's tourist appeal in new and existing source markets.

Thierry Aucoc, Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for Europe at Emirates, expressed his pleasure with the agreement. Aucoc noted that Emirates, with its extensive flight network and strong global partnerships, is well-positioned to support the market's tourism goals and air connectivity needs.

Highlighting Türkiye's status as one of the most popular travel destinations due to its rich cultural heritage, world-renowned heritage sites and magnificent gastronomic offerings, Aucoc said: "We are confident that our joint efforts will inspire more travelers to visit Türkiye and discover many fascinating regions."

Ismail Butun, General Manager of the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, said that Türkiye hosted 56.7 million visitors in 2023, representing a 10% increase compared to the previous year.

Butun noted that in 2023, the tourism sector experienced its peak, with Istanbul ranking among the world's most visited cities, hosting 17.4 million foreign visitors.

He said the positive trend continued into the first quarter of 2024, with over 9 million visitors recorded, marking a 16.7% increase compared to the previous year.

"The collaboration between Emirates and TGA is expected to bolster the tourism sector further, paving the way for new growth opportunities in the future," he added.

As part of the agreement, Emirates will explore opportunities to organize promotional trips to Türkiye and collaborate with TGA on joint marketing and promotional campaigns to highlight Türkiye's uniqueness and increase its visibility.