Turkish Airlines is working closely with the Indian government to increase the number of flights between Türkiye and India, a senior official told ET. Turkish Airlines currently offers 14 flights per week, but aims to increase this number to 28 to give travellers more choices. Ahmet Olmuştur, chief commercial officer of Turkish Airlines, said increasing connectivity with India aligns with the airline’s goal of providing comprehensive travel options for potential visitors.
Türkiye’s popularity as a holiday destination has grown among Indian travellers, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. In the first six months of 2024 the country received 165,000 Indian tourists, including travellers from Tier 2 and 3 cities. This is a 33.2 percent increase compared to a year earlier.
Hagia Sophia’s, Topkapi Palace’s and Grand Bazaar are among the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul. Visitors are drawn to Cappadocia for its unique rock formations. Others visit Pamukkale, with its travertine terraces, thermal springs and resort town of Bodrum.
“We are strategically planning to expand our routes to major Indian cities, tapping into the rising demand for international travel there,” said Olmuştur.
“India is a major market for Turkish Tourism, and this trend will continue to grow annually.”
Türkiye is also emerging as a preferred location for HNI weddings in India. Ralph Radtke is the regional vice president and general manager of Kempinski Hotels. He said: “I consider myself to be the godfather of Indian marriages in Turkey.”
It all began when steel tycoon Pramod Mittal’s daughter married at Çırağan Palace Kempinski in 2011. Today, approximately 20 per cent of the 70–80 weddings the hotel hosts each year are for prominent Indian families…”
To tap the increase in outbound travel from India, nations such as Türkiye, Thailand and Azerbaijan have started wooing holidayers, promising them a unique experience—from wellness retreats to adventure trips. According to a FICCI/Nangia knowledge document titled “Navigating Horizons”: The Rise and future of Indian Outbound Tourism”, last year, 28.2 millions people flew out from India, spending $28 billion collectively on foreign trips.
According to officials, Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism aims to push up the Indian arrivals figure next year to 350,000.
Turkiye expects to welcome more Indian families than ever before in 2022. This is because of the number of international visitors Turkiye received between January and August 2022. 2019 was a record year for international travellers to Turkiye. Also, autumn is a popular time to organize a wedding in Turkiye, with Istanbul Bodrum and Antalya the top 3 destinations.
Turkish officials are optimistic regarding the growth potential of India-Turkey Tourism Corridor and are trying to form collaborations with India’s travel ecosystem in areas like tourism, agent partnerships, and cultural exchange programs.
“We have collaborated with the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI) and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) to strengthen ties with the Indian travel industry,” said Olmuştur.
“This partnership aims to foster deeper cultural exchanges and provide Indian travel agents with first-hand experience of Türkiye as a destination, thereby promoting travel between India and Türkiye.”
Overall, Türkiye received 55 million international visitors last year, with Germany, Russia and the UK being the top source markets, but now the focus is also on attracting more visitors from emerging markets like India.
Turkish Airlines offers special packages to attract Indian travellers in peak seasons. These include the Stopover Program which provides free hotel stays for long layovers in Istanbul, and the Touristanbul Service which provides complimentary tours and dining for international passengers with layovers of between 6 and 24 days.
