Türkiye India Destination Promotion Event 2025’ | Image used for representation purpose only (Pexels)
As Turkey witnessed close to 25% rise in Indian tourists in 2024 compared to the previous year, it aspires to attract more Indian tourists in the running year. Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism concluded its six-city tour of the ‘India Destination Promotion Event 2025’ with its final leg in Mumbai to partner with travel and hospitality stakeholders from India.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye and Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) hosted the final leg of the six-city tour in Mumbai on Saturday. The ‘Türkiye India Destination Promotion Event 2025’ brought together key tourism stakeholders from both nations, fostering new opportunities for collaboration.
Building on the momentum from previous events in Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad, the Mumbai edition witnessed robust participation of over 200 stakeholders from India’s travel industry, including luxury tour operators, MICE specialists, and hospitality leaders.
Mustafa Kemalettin Eruygur, Turkey’s consul general in Mumbai, announced at the event that Turkey recorded 61 million tourists in 2024, which included 3.36 lakh Indian tourists. This was a 24.44% rise from the 2.70 lakh Indian tourists recorded in 2023.
Apart from Turkey’s consul general in Mumbai, the event was led by Basak Onsal Demir, the counsellor for culture and tourism affairs at the Turkish embassy in Delhi. It also featured an insightful presentation from TGA representative Zeynep Üçok Celikag, who shared Turkey’s latest tourism developments. She spotlighted emerging travel hotspots like the picturesque Aegean coasts, the UNESCO-listed Göbeklitepe, and the historically significant Taş Tepeler region.
Eruygur said, “Mumbai, as India’s financial and entertainment capital, is a key market for outbound travel. The city’s vibrant tourism sector and increasing demand for premium travel experiences align well with Türkiye’s diverse offerings. We have seen an incredible surge in interest from Indian travellers, and we aim to provide them with more opportunities to explore Türkiye’s unparalleled history, nature, and modern attractions. Strengthening direct connectivity between Mumbai and Istanbul will further encourage travel between our nations, and we are dedicated to enhancing the experience of every Indian traveller visiting Türkiye.”
IndiGo and Turkish Airlines, which offer direct flights from multiple Indian cities to Turkey’s Istanbul, also participated in the tourism promotion event to support the initiative, and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance flight options between the countries.
