First day of IBTM World Barcelona 2025 comes to a close
IBTM World Barcelona 2025, regarded as one of the most important global meeting points for congress and incentive tourism, opened its doors in Barcelona, Spain. The first day of the fair, held on 18–20 November 2025, concluded with strong interest. The high level of interest in Istanbul and Türkiye from the very first day drew attention.
The Association of Turkish Hoteliers (TÜROB) is taking part in the fair this year as well, together with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) and the Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB). Welcoming its visitors in Hall 3, at stand E10, TÜROB is sharing Türkiye's strength in MICE tourism with international professionals.
On the first day of the fair, the TÜROB delegation, consisting of TÜROB President Müberra Eresin accompanied by Secretary General İsmail Taşdemir and Board Members Mustafa Topaloğlu and Nuri Kalyoncu, met with representatives of national and international institutions, event planners and sector professionals, and conveyed Türkiye's work in congress and meeting tourism.
TÜROB President Eresin held talks with Türkiye's Consul General in Barcelona Ms. Ayşe Zeybek, Istanbul Deputy Governor Mr. Mehmet Sülün, Istanbul Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Mr. Hüseyin Keskin, Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and TUGEV Mr. Şekib Avdagiç, İTO Board Member and TUGEV Deputy Chairman Mr. Bahadır Yaşık, TGA Deputy Director General Dr. Elif Balcı Fisunoğlu, İBB Head of the Culture Department Mr. Tolga Volkan Aslan, İBB Tourism Branch Manager Mr. Hüseyin Gazi Coşan, and numerous institutions, organisations and sector representatives attending the fair.
In her assessment of the first day of the fair, TÜROB President Müberra Eresin, while conveying the importance of MICE tourism and Türkiye's goals, placed special emphasis on the critical role of Spain, the host country of the fair, in global congress tourism. "MICE tourism is not just about organising meetings; it is a strategic field in terms of economic development, city branding and the sustainable diversification of tourism. For this reason, looking at strong examples in the sector is of great importance. Spain has for many years been among the world's strongest countries in congress tourism. Barcelona and Madrid in particular hold a stable position among the world's top 20 cities hosting the most congresses, thanks to the high number of congresses held each year. This success is the result of strong infrastructure investments, professional event management and effective destination marketing. The success of Barcelona and Madrid in the sector serves as an important reference for our country. As Türkiye, we too are continuing our efforts to reach a more competitive position, working in coordination with all sector stakeholders, foremost among them TGA, İTO, ICVB and THY, to increase our international visibility with our strong congress infrastructure, led by Istanbul. Istanbul's hosting of more than 80 international congresses in 2024 and once again ranking among the top 15 cities in Europe is an important achievement. With this momentum, which according to 2025 data continues to increase, we aim to once again carry Istanbul and Türkiye into the world's top 10 destinations hosting the most congresses. As TÜROB, we are resolutely continuing our efforts in this direction together with our public institutions and all our sector stakeholders. I would especially like to extend my thanks to the Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and TUGEV Mr. Şekib Avdagiç and İTO Board Member and TUGEV Deputy Chairman Mr. Bahadır Yaşık for securing a dedicated stand for Istanbul at the fair, and for their contributions not only to the design and successful organisation of the stand but also to the sustainable promotion of the city," she said.
IBTM World Barcelona 2025 will be open to tourism professionals until Thursday, 20 November 2025.
For more information: https://www.ibtmworld.com