İGA Istanbul Airport is expanding its “China-Friendly Airport” initiative to enhance international tourism activities with China. As part of the agreement, regular meetings will be held, knowledge and experience will be shared, joint aviation development and destination promotion activities will be conducted, and employee exchange programs will be implemented.
Cooperation Agreement and Objectives
During the signing ceremony held at the IGA Lounge in the International Terminal, CEO Selahattin Bilgen emphasized that IGA Istanbul Airport considers China one of its most important target markets. Bilgen stated, “The development of tourism between Sichuan Province and Turkey, our increasing mutual trade, and the resulting rise in flights are extremely significant and valuable for Turkey. In 2023, approximately 220,000 Chinese tourists entered our country through our airport. Our goal is to continue increasing the number of passengers coming from China to Turkey.”
Future Plans and Targets
Bilgen announced that the aim is to reach 1 million Chinese tourists coming to Turkey within the next two to three years. To achieve this target, they plan to increase flight routes and implement various methods to ensure accessibility for Chinese passengers.
He added, “We have made a conscious effort to introduce more flight routes and airlines to make Turkey more accessible to the Chinese market. When we first opened, we served our guests with only one Chinese airline. Despite the challenges faced by the tourism sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, we now have scheduled flights from six Chinese cities to IGA Istanbul Airport with Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines, and Turkish Airlines.”
Strengthening Tourism and Trade Relations
The steps taken by IGA Istanbul Airport towards the Chinese market aim to strengthen tourism and trade relations between Turkey and China. The airport management continues to develop various projects and collaborations to ensure that Chinese tourists can visit Turkey more easily and comfortably. This initiative is expected to boost tourism and economic exchange, fostering stronger ties between the two nations.
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