Association of Turkish Travel Agencies

The heads of tourism organizations, airlines and tour operators from 26 countries are set to meet in ?zmir at the Tourizmir summit on the first three days of October. 

The Aegean province will be introduced to the prominent figures of world tourism at the event, said Ekrem Demirta?, the head of the ?zmir Chamber of Commerce (?ZTO), in a statement to promote the summit. 

In the “strange but true” category, media reports from the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos (Lesbos) have nearly three-fourths of the Turkish tourists that booked holidays on the island for a coming Muslim holiday cancelling due to the … migrant crisis.

Greece’s state-run news agency quotes a noted travel agent on the island, who specializes in Turkish tourists, as stating that:

Turkey will reach last year's tourist numbers of 41 million despite all the negativities in neighboring countries, said the head of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB). 

"Despite the negativities in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and others, Turkey will reach 2014's figures in tourism," said TÜRSAB head Ba?aran Ulusoy. 

The number of foreign people visiting Turkey increased to around 5.5 million in July, a 5.1 percent increase from the same month of 2014, according to data released by the Tourism Ministry on Sept. 2. 

Turkey?s tourism income may decrease by 12 percent this year from last year unless the required measures are taken, according to Detur CEO Firuz Ba?l?kaya, who will run for the presidency of the country?s leading tourism association, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), in December.

A leading tourism representative has said the sector players want to turn Istanbul?s Yenikap? into a new cruise port amid renovation works in the city?s main cruise port. 

Germany has been the quickest to respond after the embargo was lifted for Iran. German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has flown to Iran accompanied by a large group of industrialists and businesspeople. There he will meet Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. 

Turkey, the sixth most visited tourism destination in the world, has also become one of the most popular medical tourism destinations with more than half a million medical tourists visiting the country last year, according to data compiled by Anadolu Agency from the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), the Health Ministry and private hospital figures. 

Tourism sector representatives have pinned their hopes on a potential post-Ramadan rise in the number of domestic tourists with the help of discount campaigns in hotel prices, especially in Antalya, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) said July 7. 

Turkish tourism representatives expect to reach over $35 billion in this year's annual income by hosting more than 42 million tourists, despite Europe's economic problems and conflicts in neighboring countries, said Ba?aran Ulusoy, president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB).