The ITF will be held for the third time under the strategic partnership of TÜRSAB.

The Istanbul Tourism Fair ( ITF ) will be held at the Yenikapı-Eurasia Show and Art Center from September 25-26. The fair, which has already reached 90% occupancy, has this year's motto: "Are you ready to network and make business connections?" Bringing together all the tourism sector's players, from travel agencies and tour operators to airlines and hotels, regional destinations, DMC and incentive firms, and technology companies, the fair will be the scene of new collaborations. The two-day "Tourism Summit," which will bring together national and international tourism professionals as part of the fair, will focus on prominent issues in the sector.

Interest is growing exponentially

Ahead of the Istanbul Tourism Fair ( ITF ) , Dream Project CEO and Board Member Volkan Ataman and TÜRSAB Chairman Firuz Bağlıkaya met with members of the press to share the latest developments regarding the fair. Ataman noted that the ITF , despite being a young fair, has attracted significant interest, saying, "The ITF is only three years old. However, the strong partnerships and networking established here are increasing interest in the fair exponentially. As soon as last year's fair concluded, people reserved their seats for next year. That's why our fair has already reached 90% occupancy."

Travel agencies will sign new collaborations

TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya stated that they are a strategic partner of the fair, saying, "TÜRSAB will create a special B2B event area right next to the fairgrounds, bringing together our domestic travel agencies with tour operators and agencies from around the world. We aim to maximize efficiency by planning meetings based on participant profiles and sectoral matchmaking. With this major event, we aim to bring together our travel agencies with over 500 international tourism professionals to foster new and mutually beneficial collaborations. Thanks to this platform, our valued international business partners will have the opportunity to learn more about Turkey's tourism potential and the innovative tourism products and services offered by our members. At the same time, our travel agencies will have the opportunity to expand their international business networks and expand into new markets."

2,500 national and international travel agencies will meet

Volkan Ataman , sharing the latest developments regarding fair preparations, said, "Despite fire disasters, economic difficulties, and the country's current affairs, our fair preparations are continuing intensively. We determined our concept months in advance. A highly creative, productive, B2B-focused, and content-packed fair awaits our exhibitors. We will be hosting international travel agencies, tour operators, DMCs, and incentive companies targeting the Turkish market, introducing Istanbul to them, and bringing them together with our exhibitors to foster new collaborations." Ataman emphasized that they've brought 500 international hosted buyers from 50 countries to the fair this year, a significant investment. He said, "We will also host 2,000 travel agencies from the domestic market. This will bring together 2,500 national and international travel agencies to hold B2B meetings. This year, we've made strong preparations for business connections and focused on this area. The productivity of the buyers we'll be bringing from abroad is also in line with this. As a result of our strategic partnership agreement with TÜRSAB, we will be hosting 250 major global travel agencies at our fair."

Over 15,000 tourism professionals

Ataman emphasized that September is the contract signing period for hotels and agencies, saying, "Because the ITF takes place during this period, it sees thousands of travel agencies and hotels sign contracts. Consequently, very strong collaborations develop here. It will also be a very productive fair for our tourism sector, as our participants will make business agreements and contracts with the 500 hosted buyers we will host from 50 countries, outgoing travel agencies, tour operators, DMCs, and incentive companies." Ataman also emphasized that the fair makes a strong contribution to Istanbul's tourism sector, saying, "When we consider Istanbul specifically, the travel agencies and hotels—in short, the 15,000 tourism professionals who will come to our fair from all over Turkey—will make a significant economic contribution to our city through their expenses, such as hotel accommodations, food, and beverage."

The sector will be discussed

Ataman, reminding us of the Tourism Summit to be held concurrently with the fair, continued: "National and international industry professionals will be with us at the summit. On the first day of the fair, a sector and vision session will be held with the presidents of travel agency associations from four countries, in collaboration with our strategic partner TÜRSAB. In the Muğla Destination Session , chaired by the Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, the Muğla destination will be discussed with district mayors. As part of our market sessions, experts will scrutinize the Polish, Dubai, Benelux, and Vietnamese markets. The MICE Session, hosted by the Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau , will inspire the MICE sector. Executives from international associations such as ICCA , GainingEdge , and CityDNA will also be with us.

In our sessions on September 26th, we'll be joined by the chairmen and members of the boards of industry associations, tour operators, hotels, and prominent travel agencies for the 2025 season assessment and 2026 expectations sessions. Renowned artists will share their experiences in the music tourism session, while Eventmagix and Cevent sessions, which will explore technology and artificial intelligence, will provide participants with diverse perspectives. Moderated by the Union of Municipalities of Turkey , our esteemed mayors will discuss the tourism potential in their regions and what needs to be done.

The ITF Gala Party , which will be held at Fişekhane in collaboration with Ela Excellence Resort Belek on the evening of September 25th, will offer our participants entertainment and networking all in one.