Newsroom
In the realm of foreign tourism promotion and marketing, the pseudostate actively participated in the inaugural Istanbul Balkan Tourism Exchange Exhibition (IBTB Istanbul) from September 20 to 22.
As reported by the Turkish Cypriot press, the event, attended by "Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth, and Environment" Fikri Ataoglu, began yesterday at the Lutfi Kirdar International Convention and Exhibition Centre. This three-day exhibition is exclusively accessible to tourism professionals and visitors.
The exhibition's overarching aim is to bolster relations between Turkey and the Balkans while providing a shared platform for tourism professionals hailing from neighboring countries within the region.
In his address at the exhibition, Mr. Ataoglu underscored the Balkan countries' substantial population of 60 million. He emphasized the exhibition's pivotal role in securing a larger share of this demographic and expressed high expectations for strong tourist attraction from this market, driven by their forthcoming promotional campaigns.
Mr. Ataoglu argued that European tourists, following Turkish visitors, rank as the most frequent visitors to the occupied areas. He also noted the expanded scope of their promotional and marketing activities aimed at reaching a broader audience across the Balkan countries.
Furthermore, he mentioned that Turkish Airlines would play a significant role in these promotional efforts, building upon its contributions from the past. The ultimate objective is to host tourist operators from Balkan countries, serviced by Turkish Airlines, in the occupied areas and acquaint them with "northern Cyprus" in the near future.
[Information sourced from CNA]
