The EMITT Fair, which attracts thousands of vacation consumers and industry professionals each year, continues to boost Turkey’s touristic appeal. This year, it drew significant interest from both visitors and participants at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center.
Supported by institutional sponsors such as the Republic of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Trade, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and Turkish Airlines, and organized in partnership with the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED) and the Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD), the 27th East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Fair (EMITT) hosted 653 participant companies from 28 countries, including Germany, Bulgaria, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Japan, Northern Cyprus, and Venezuela.
Ranked among the top five tourism fairs in the world, EMITT welcomed 220 VIP tour operators from 43 countries over four days. In total, 28,386 visitors attended, including 3,158 international attendees.
EMITT reached its highest-ever percentage of international visitors, accounting for 11% of the total, marking a new milestone in its 27-year history.
One of the industry’s most significant networking events, EMITT’s Business Development Activities highlighted key topics on the Conference Stage this year. These discussions featured industry leaders, over 70 experts, and collaborations with 30 leading organizations.
The fair’s agenda was shaped around four main topics: “Travel Trends,” “Health Tourism,” “Responsible Tourism,” and “Travel Technologies.” Key themes under these topics included the global impact of the climate crisis and its effect on tourism, branding and promotion projects, Turkey’s policies in health, sports, and cultural tourism, incentives to be provided, green bonds, the latest travel technologies, digital transformation and artificial intelligence, eco-tourism experiences, local tourism practices, and new destinations.
During the Presidents’ Session, which featured TÜROFED Chairman Erkan Yağcı, TÜROB Chairman Müberra Eresin, and TTYD Vice Chairman Naile Göçen Çukurova, the 2023 Turkey Tourism Report and forecasts for 2024 were shared, focusing on tourism economics and expectations for the upcoming year.
EMITT Fair Director Hacer Aydın highlighted the value the fair added to Turkey’s economy, tourism, and national brand this year, stating:
“We significantly increased the added value we offer to both the tourism sector and the Turkish economy this year. The success of the EMITT fair was dazzling. We recorded a remarkable 78% increase in international visitors compared to last year, showcasing the growing appeal and influence of the fair globally. Likewise, overall visitor attendance grew by 23% compared to last year. Hosting a total of 3,158 international visitors reaffirmed the fair’s importance as a key player in the global tourism industry and further solidified Turkey’s strength in the tourism sector internationally. The satisfaction at the end of each successful fair and the joy of sharing our experience and contributing to the country is indescribable. We have worked hard and believed in this for 27 years. I believe the 27th EMITT fair was highly fruitful for all our participants and visitors. We discovered Turkey’s tourism power together and added even more strength. Congratulations to everyone involved…”