Oya Narin: We are now ready for the third tourism initiative

The 4th Transforming Leadership Summit, which annually brings together 250 of Turkey 's leading business leaders and academics, was held. The summit, hosted by Ekonomi Gazetesi , in collaboration with PwC , and with Sabancı Holding as main sponsor, took place at the Elite World Grand Sapanca from October 9-11. Gathering under the theme " Winning Today in the Uncertainty of Tomorrow ," the economics community explored the concept of uncertainty, managing within it, and the new business models of the new world.

Third largest sector

Speaking at the event , Oya Narin, President of the Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD), made the following statements:

According to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council, the global tourism and travel ecosystem's contribution to global GDP , which was $11 trillion in 2024, is projected to reach $15.6 trillion by 2035. The sector will continue to grow. As the third-largest sector after energy and agriculture, Turkey has naturally shared in this growth.

"Countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt are receiving serious investments"

Turkey has written a great success story over the last 40 years. Global growth has reached nearly 41 percent in the last year. We've managed to reach $60 billion from $30 billion. We've achieved significant growth and a superior performance. Therefore, we have an encouraging future. Turkish tourism is actually a young sector, with a 40-year history. Compared to our other sectors, it's relatively new. It's also just entering its adult years. It's achieved outstanding performance to date. Of course, the most important factors are our human resources and the beauty of our country. If you look at the trends, there are currently significant investments in many countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt . Significant resources are being channeled into tourism because these countries have seen the future of the sector.

However, because we're a young sector, we lack a significant investment environment and legal infrastructure. It's crucial that this area be improved. On the one hand, adapting to the digital world requires establishing the legal infrastructure for globally developing conveniences like Uber and Booking , which everyone uses. We're somewhat removed from these areas. This poses a significant challenge.

We are now ready for the third tourism move.

There's a very serious movement going on globally. We must emerge with a new narrative. We're in a very good position in tourism. This year has been a somewhat more challenging period for the accommodation sector. However, we must emerge with a new plan that aligns with the World Travel and Tourism Council 's goals for 2035. Investments have been held back by high interest rates, but we need to prepare for 2027. Turkey now needs its third tourism initiative.