“Our country has extraordinary tourism products”

'Connect to Turkey' events, launched by Turkish Airlines in New York in 2022 to develop and promote Turkish tourism, continue to be held around the world.

The second "Connect to Türkiye" event, which was first held in Istanbul in 2024, was held at the ancient city of Ephesus in the Selçuk district of Izmir. Prior to the Izmir event, Turkish Airlines hosted senior executives from approximately 200 major tour operators from 90 cities around the world in Afyon and Denizli. The event, held at the ancient city of Ephesus, was attended by Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nadir Alpaslan, İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat, and senior officials from tour operators from around the world. Speaking at the event, Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat stated:

“I would like to express my gratitude to all our stakeholders, agencies, and business partners in the tourism and travel sector who participated in our event from around the world, and I thank them in advance for their support in promoting the cultural richness of our country.”

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nadir Alpaslan stated that Türkiye has become one of the world's leading countries in terms of tourism and shared his views as follows:

Our country has extraordinary tourism products. We have numerous venues and tourism products in Türkiye. The world's most important archaeological sites are in our country. From Göbeklitepe to Cappadocia, from Ephesus to Istanbul, the world's most important archaeological artifacts are in our country. Because humanity's adventure on earth began in these lands, we also possess an extraordinary wealth of historical sites and cultural assets. We also have a very strong wealth of faith centers. The most important faith centers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are located in our country. We have a very diverse, rich, and extraordinary cuisine and gastronomy. We have beautiful beaches on the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Thanks to our very strong health centers and cultural centers, we also have a very strong potential for congress tourism. Because our country experiences four seasons simultaneously, you can swim in one place and ski in the other. We also have excellent facilities and products for winter tourism. Whatever you can think of in terms of tourism, the best examples and products are found in our country. With this awareness, we are making investments to make these a strong presence in all corners of the world. We continue our efforts to make our country a tourism attraction center through promotion.”

Deputy Minister Alpaslan continued his remarks as follows:

Having a brand like Turkish Airlines, which provides quick access to Istanbul and Antalya from anywhere in the world, is one of the most important reasons and advantages we've achieved in the tourism industry. Last year, we became the fourth country in the world for attracting the most tourists. Last year, we welcomed 62 million foreign visitors to our country, generating $61 billion in tourism revenue. Not content with this, we continue our efforts to rise to even higher ranks and attract more foreign visitors to our country.

İzmir Governor Süleyman Elban emphasized that İzmir is a city with a unique richness in terms of its history, natural beauty, coastlines, gastronomy, and scenic routes. He said, “It is home to many historic cities, particularly Ephesus, Teos, Smyrna, and Bergama. It boasts exceptional beaches stretching from Dikili to Kuşadası. Furthermore, inland, with its unique climate and natural beauty, it boasts unique mountainous, plateau, and forested areas that will welcome nature lovers. İzmir embodies the cuisine you'll find in every corner of our country. Due to its significant migration, you'll also find examples of all the cuisines found in our neighboring regions. Since you can find a wide variety of natural products here, from olives to figs, many products that add unique flavor and taste to our cuisine are available here. There's significant potential for health tourism and spa tourism. There are plenty of excuses to visit İzmir.”