Tourism has increased over the past few years between India and Turkey, and there is still plenty of potential for growth across tourism and a number of other sectors. This is according to a top Indian expert speaking on the travel and tourism sectors.
Mayal speaks on Indian and Turkish tourism
The president of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) – which is a top body of travel firms within India, Jyoti Mayal, said that the two countries, India and Turkey should develop a way of promoting tourism through visa-free travel.
Mayal started by saying: “Turkiye like India is enriched with culture, heritage, cuisine and more. It is a huge convergence of east and west, which allures the Indian market.”
Strong numbers each month flocking to Turkey
During June, Turkey welcomed over 27,300 Indian tourists; the Indian media quoted the Turkish Tourism Department in August when speaking. This was due to the relaxing of COVID-19 travel restrictions which were implemented by Turkey.
In addition to the growing tourism between the two countries, Mayal added that there has been a significant increase in the number of wedding celebrations in Turkey by Indians, in part due to liberal policies and quick visa processing.
Tourism driving economics, politics, and connections
According to the expert Mayal, tourism drives: “economic growth, healthier political relationships, greater infrastructure and strengthens people-to-people connections.”
She continued to say that: “we need to build on our strengths and promote experiential tourism in both countries without forgetting the sustainability aspect.”
Visa-free experiments should be tested, according to Mayal
When asked about increasing the people-to-people contacts, Mayal spoke to say that both countries should move to developing a visa-free experiment in an effort to promote tourism.
She continued to add that: “tourism should not have any boundaries. Tourism crosses all barriers, has no language and tourism is all about experiences. We need to continue doing roadshows to showcase each other's products, connect stakeholders and travel agents and do effective marketing highlighting our strengths.”
More collaboration is needed, according to Mayal, between different industries to increase the footfall to both countries and grow the tourism industry.
Increasing numbers of Indians choosing Turkey for their weddings
Mayal reflected on the increasing trend of Indian weddings happening in Turkey. She spoke on the subject to say that: “we need to bring in more authenticity and ease of catering to Indian needs”, before adding that some common factors, including food, were already a driving force behind the increasing trend. She continued to say that there was still room to improve on the existing experience for Indians marrying in Turkey.
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