Turkish Airlines targets high-value travelers to boost tourism revenue

OSAKA

Türkiye’s flag carrier, Turkish Airlines (THY), has unveiled its strategy to attract high-spending tourists to the country, aiming to generate $45 billion in tourism revenue from 11 countries by 2033.

The airline's focus is on bringing tourists from countries in the Americas and Asia, including Japan, where THY is participating in the Osaka Expo 2025 to increase its visibility and strengthen the country’s appeal as a cultural and gastronomic destination, daily Milliyet reported.

The other 10 countries include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and South Korea.

During the Osaka Expo, THY’s chairman of the board of directors, Ahmet Bolat, shared the airline's ambitious plans.

Around 3.3 million tourists from these 11 countries visited Türkiye last year, Bolat revealed. The goal is to increase this number to 15 million by 2033, in addition to a projected revenue of $45 billion.

Emphasizing the significant economic contribution of tourists who visit Türkiye for cultural and gastronomic tourism, Bolat noted that these tourists spend an average of $3,000 per visit, contributing to the country’s overall economic growth.

'Terror-free Türkiye’ initiative's impact on tourism

Bolat highlighted that the issue of safety has been a crucial factor in attracting Japanese tourists, highlighting the importance of Türkiye’s ongoing efforts to ensure a "terror-free" environment in this sense.

He mentioned that Japan, alongside countries like China and South Korea, places a high value on security when selecting travel destinations.

With Türkiye’s "terror-free" initiative, Bolat believes the country will see an increase in tourists from these regions as safety conditions continue to improve.

The terror-free Türkiye initiative corresponds to the country’s ongoing efforts to deem Türkiye free from the issue of terror that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of people, including security forces and civilians, in the fight against the terrorist organization PKK since the 1980s.