Istanbul, Türkiye is diversifying its market, moving beyond its traditional reliance on Europe to actively engage Asia-Pacific’s business events segment.
Istanbul exceeded its 60 million arrivals target in 2024, generating over US$60 billion in tourist receipts. Of this 60 million, business event visitors constitute around 15 per cent, and of this, five per cent are from Asia-Pacific.
However, the percentage of inbound business events from Asia-Pacific is “not at the level we want it to be”, Cemil Hakan Kilic, general manager of Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau, told TTGmice.
“Over the next three years, I want to double (the number of business event visitors from Asia-Pacific) to 10 per cent. To do so, we have to expand our inbound market sources… farther afield, such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India,” he said, adding that delegates from these countries will stay longer than Europeans due to the journey time.
The Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau is currently focused on identifying and attracting Asia-Pacific-based association headquarters to host their congresses in Istanbul.
“Previously, we ran a similar project that identified associations located in the US and South America. We want to do the same thing for the Asia-Pacific market. Once we find these associations, we will offer them a fam trip to Istanbul, to demonstrate why their congress should be held in Istanbul and what we can provide for them,” Kilic elaborated.
The challenge, he pointed out, is that association headquarters in Asia-Pacific are all “very spread out” in various countries like Singapore, Beijing, and Japan – where each country has different cultures and preferences. Despite this, the sector remains important and it is possible to leverage an association’s long-term planning cycles.
He said: “The general lifespan of an association conducting a congress in the same city is about 10 years. Our aim is to reach these associations before they return to the same city.”
Istanbul is also able to facilitate research-related programme extensions, particularly in renewable energy fields like solar power and windmills.
Beyond attracting association meetings, Istanbul is also working to encourage business event travellers to extend their stays through targeted marketing campaigns.
Business event planners can expect support from the bureau. Subvention help comes in the form of up to 30 per cent discount on tickets with Turkish Airlines, as well as 50 per cent discount with member hotels.
Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau will also sponsor an all-expense-paid inspection trip, to “fully demonstrate what hotels, event sites, and convention centres can offer”.
Kilic believes that by securing one major event from Malaysia or China will have a domino effect on Istanbul’s ability to attract more groups from Asia-Pacific.
This is why being able to host this year’s PATA Annual Summit is a boon.
“This is the first time we are hosting PATA, and it is a valuable event for us to host. It is our chance to make an effective first impression. I’m very optimistic about the (long-term benefits) the event will bring!” he remarked.
