What were the main outcomes of the recent fam trip and B2B meetings with OTOAI members?

The recent fam trip and B2B meetings with the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) members in Istanbul were highly successful, achieving significant outcomes for both Türkiye and Indian travel industries. The main goal of organising the OTOAI fam tour was to showcase the diverse attractions of Türkiye to Indian travel agents, and it involved more than 30 OTOAI members from across India, representing a wide range of regions and tourism interests. This collaboration between Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency and OTOAI demonstrated a strong mutual commitment to fostering tourism partnerships and facilitating meaningful exchanges within the travel industry.

The fam trip and meetings allowed participants to experience Türkiye’s rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cityscapes first-hand, strengthening the ties between the two countries. As a result, the initiative promoted a greater understanding and appreciation of Türkiye’s unique offerings among Indian travellers, enhancing its appeal as a prime travel destination and paving the way for increased tourism and collaboration between Indian travel agencies and Turkish stakeholders.

What are the new experiences that Indian visitors to Türkiye are seeking?

In addition to these well-known destinations, offbeat places such as İzmir, Çeşme and Fethiye are gaining recognition among Indian travellers

Indian visitors to Türkiye are increasingly seeking unique and memorable experiences, making destinations like İstanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya popular choices for family holidays, weddings, honeymoons, and leisure getaways. Istanbul offers stunning wedding photography backdrops with iconic landmarks like the Bosphorus coastline, Maiden’s Tower and Galata Tower. Cappadocia enchants visitors with its ethereal landscapes and hot-air balloon experiences, while Antalya provides a perfect blend of historic charm and scenic beauty along its Mediterranean shores.

In addition to these well-known destinations, offbeat places such as İzmir, Çeşme and Fethiye are gaining recognition among Indian travellers. İzmir’s coastal allure, Çeşme’s beautiful beaches, and Fethiye’s turquoise waters and historical ruins offer unique and picturesque settings for those seeking a blend of nature, history and culture. These destinations are increasingly sought after for Indian weddings and leisure travel, thanks to targetted marketing campaigns and collaborations with local wedding planners, making Türkiye an attractive destination for Indian tourists seeking a blend of cultural splendor and natural beauty.

Which are the new destinations for Indian visitors?

We invite Indian visitors to discover new and exciting destinations in Türkiye that go beyond the traditional highlights. While İstanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya are always popular, there are several emerging locations that offer unique experiences. İzmir, located on the Aegean coast, boasts stunning seaside beauty and rich historical sites. Pamukkale is renowned for its spectacular white travertine terraces and ancient thermal pools, creating a mesmerising natural landscape. Alaçatı, with its picturesque streets and vibrant windsurfing scene, provides a charming and active coastal retreat. Additionally, Mount Nemrut, a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers dramatic mountain views and fascinating ancient statues.

Exploring these new destinations allows Indian visitors to experience the diverse and captivating aspects of Türkiye, enriching their travel experience with both cultural and natural wonders.

What is your expectation for growth in Indian market?

We aim to achieve sustainable growth in the number of Indian visitors to Türkiye. By promoting a diverse range of experiences and destinations, we are confident in maintaining this upward trajectory while ensuring a meaningful and enriching experience for Indian travellers. Our goal is to strengthen the cultural and economic ties between our two countries, making Türkiye a preferred destination for Indian tourists.

What is your marketing strategy in India?

We conduct different promotional activities for FIT, MICE and wedding segment in India. Our main market strategy is to focus on different type of promotional activities for attracting more Indians to Türkiye. For FITs we work closely with travel agents and travel agents’ associations in India. We conduct joint promotional activities and joint events with them.

A recent highlight of our efforts includes the successful six-city India Roadshow in collaboration with the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), aimed at strengthening ties between the Indian travel trade and Turkish tourism. Additionally, our ongoing initiatives with Indian travel agents include the recent OTOAI fam tour. Through these efforts, we aim to enhance Türkiye’s visibility and appeal as a top destination for destination weddings and honeymoons in the Indian market.

For the MICE segment, we do have close collaboration with Indian corporates and MICE agents. We conduct regular events in collaboration with corporates and MICE agents in India. With the help of our smooth visa policy provided for Indian MICE and wedding groups the number of corporates preferring Türkiye for their events increases every year.

Our marketing strategy in India focuses on positioning Türkiye as a premier destination for destination weddings through a variety of strategic initiatives. We actively engage in organising familiarisation trips for wedding planners, influencers, and travel agents, allowing them to experience Türkiye’s picturesque landscapes and top-tier wedding venues firsthand. We also launch targetted marketing campaigns to highlight Türkiye’s unique offerings for weddings and honeymoons.

Have you seen demand from Tier II and Tier III cities?

Although both Turkish Airlines and Indigo fly directly to İstanbul from Delhi and Mumbai, the number of Indians coming to Türkiye from other cities of India is pretty high. The demand to our destination can be witnessed from the cities such as Chandigarh, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Pune, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Surat, Lucknow and Bhubaneswar. We are also happy that, most of the mentioned cities have Turkish visa offices where Indian citizens can directly apply for the visas.