ISTANBUL- Flag carrier of Türkiye, Turkish Airlines (TK) is partnering with the Indian government to double its weekly direct flights to India, according to a senior official told ET.
Currently, the airline operates 14 weekly flights to India.
Turkish Airlines India Flights
Ahmet Olmutur, Turkish Airlines’ chief commercial officer, stated that increasing connectivity with India supports the airline’s mission to expand travel options for visitors.
Turkey has seen a significant rise in interest from Indian travelers, with a 33.2% increase in visitors in the first half of 2024, totaling 165,000 arrivals, including many from smaller cities.
Top destinations for Indian tourists in Turkey include Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and the Grand Bazaar. Other popular spots are Cappadocia’s rock formations, Pamukkale’s terraces and hot springs, Bodrum’s resorts, and Antalya’s beaches and ancient sites.
Olmutur highlighted Turkish Airlines’ strategic plans to extend its routes to major Indian cities, reflecting the growing demand for international travel. He noted India’s importance to Turkish tourism and predicted continued annual growth in this market.
Additionally, Turkey has become a favored location for high-net-worth Indian weddings, further boosting its appeal as a destination for Indian travelers.
Ralph Radtke, general manager and regional vice president of Kempinski Hotels emphasized his pioneering role in hosting Indian weddings in Turkey. “I consider myself the godfather of Indian weddings in Turkey,” he said, recalling that the trend began when steel magnate Pramod Mittal’s daughter married at Çırağan Palace Kempinski in 2011.
Currently, around 20% of the 70-80 weddings held at the hotel each year are for prominent Indian families.
New Opportunities
Countries like Turkey, Thailand, and Azerbaijan are now actively attracting Indian travelers by offering unique experiences, from wellness retreats to adventure tourism, to meet the rising demand for outbound travel.
In 2023, approximately 28.2 million Indians traveled abroad, spending around $28 billion, according to a FICCI-Nangia knowledge paper titled Navigating Horizons: The Rise and Future of Indian Outbound Tourism.
Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism aims to double Indian arrivals in 2025 to 350,000, leveraging India’s growing interest in international travel.
Turkish officials see substantial growth potential in the India-Turkey tourism corridor and are actively pursuing partnerships within India’s travel industry, focusing on tourism marketing, travel agent collaborations, and cultural exchange programs.
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