Destination Development and
Institutionalization Strategies
In the OIC Member Countries
86
There are 3,348 travel agencies operating in Istanbul, representing 35%of the country’s total travel agencies.
Istanbul hosts between 9 to 12 million foreign visitors each year, which directly benefits 40 different sectors,
in addition to 150 sectors that indirectly benefit socio-economically by hosting.269
Having an 8,500-year-old rich history, the capital of three empires built upon different cultures, a megacity
with a 14.8 million population, an industrial and financial base producing 24 percent of Turkey’s total
economic output, an international logistic hub exporting/importing almost half of the country’s foreign trade,
and hosting 9-12 million foreign tourists every year makes Istanbul a very complex tourism destination to
manage.
Istanbul has a very diversified tourist base from different geographies. The city hosts 100,000 visitors from
25 different countries, 50,000+ visitors from 43 countries, and 10,000+ tourists from 88 countries wide each
year.270 Respectively Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UK, France, USA, Russia, Ukraine, Iraq and the Netherlands
are the top 10 source countries.
Unique Selling Propositions (USPs)
As the world’s sixth most visited city, Istanbul is differentiated fromother cities with its rich cultural heritage,
its unique geographical location as the crossroad between Asia and Europe, and a regional business hub that
reaches 35 countrieswithin a 2.5-hour flight. Istanbul’s two airports provide direct flights to over 300 different
cities across the globe, with a 3rd airport under construction. İstanbul Grand Airport, will provide a capacity
of 150 million passengers; the world’s largest in terms of passenger volume and is expected to open in
2018. 271
Istanbul is home to historic sites that include the Topkapi Palace, and Hagia Sophia, in addition to 78
museums. It is an optimal destination for MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and events), having over
720 hotels - about a third of which are 4 or 5 star hotels – seven convention centers, and three exhibition
centers.272
Istanbul is one of the world’s top medical tourism providers. The city is home to 27 hospitals.273 The number
of health and medical inbound travelers to Turkey has doubled to over 414,000 in 2014,274 and the Turkish
government is expecting to host over 750,000 health andmedical travelers by 2018.275 The Ministry of Health
established a Health Travel Department in 2012 to promote Turkey as an international health and medical
travel destination. The Department is also responsible for planning, monitoring, and regulating this market
and collaborating closely with public and private hospitals.276
Istanbul is a shopping destination. According to Turkstat’s Departing Visitors by Purpose of Visit 2003 – 2017
Survey, Turkey hosts more than 1.2 million shopping tourists every year, mostly in Istanbul. The Istanbul
269 TUGEV & ICVB. (2013). TUGEV - 23 Years, ICVB - 10 Years [Brochure]. Istanbul. Retrieved fro
270 Istanbul Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism Website. (2018). Retrieved from
271 Leading Congress Destination. (n.d.). Retrieved fro
272 Ibid.
273 Istanbul Investment Support and Promotional Strategy (1-37, Rep.). (n.d.). Istanbul Development Agency. Retrieved from
274 Turkish Statistical Institute. (n.d.). Retrieved fro
275 Health Tourism Development Program Action Plan (1-15, Rep.). (n.d.). SATURK Publishing. Retrieved from
276 Tarihi, G. (2017, June 07). Duties of Our Presidency. Retrieved fro