Visit to the UN Tourism Organization for the Sports Tourism Congress

Association of Turkish Hoteliers (TÜROB) President Müberra Eresin took part in the visit made to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) in the Spanish capital Madrid by a delegation led by @itokurumsal Board Member and TUGEV Deputy Chairman Bahadır Yaşık.

As part of the visit, the delegation met with a delegation led by UN Tourism Affiliate Members Director Ion Vilcu and discussed the possibility of Istanbul hosting the upcoming fourth edition of the World Sports Tourism Congress, previous editions of which were held in Lloret de Mar (Spain), Zadar (Croatia) and Madrid (Spain). Istanbul's hosting potential was assessed within the framework of the city's sports infrastructure, international event experience and tourism capacity.

Expressing his satisfaction with the delegation's visit, Ion Vilcu stated that this initiative on behalf of Istanbul was highly valuable, noting that a strong and high-quality representation provides a significant advantage for cities wishing to host the event. Vilcu emphasized that Istanbul could hold a strong position on the global sports tourism stage.

Within the scope of these efforts, prominent topics include the role of sports events in destination promotion, the sharing of best practices for attracting sports organizations, the development of public-private sector partnerships, enhancing the visitor experience through innovation and digitalization, and measuring the economic and social impacts of large-scale sports events.

The visit was also attended by Istanbul Deputy Governor Mehmet Sülün, Istanbul Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Hüseyin Keskin, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Head of the Culture Department Tolga Volkan Aslan, Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD) President Oya Narin, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Assembly Member and TÜROB Board Member Ayhan Hüzmeli, TÜROB Secretary General İsmail Taşdemir, Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICVB) General Manager Dr. Cemil Hakan Kılıç, ICVB General Coordinator Elif Nas Ünal, and TTYD Secretary General Öykü Korkmaz.