The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has announced the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) as the association’s first Destination partner in Europe.
Destination partnerships are one of ICCA’s most exclusive opportunities for ICCA members.
As the Turkish president Erdoğan officially changes his country’s name in English away from the Westernised ‘Turkey’ to ‘Türkiye’, the move to partner with ICCA is likely to raise the country’s profile within the association meetings industry as well as helping the rebranding
From the ICCA point of view, the one-year partnership indicates the association’s endorsement of Türkiye as a premier business event destination for Europe and the global industry.
“ICCA and Türkiye have shared an extensive relationship over many decades. As one of the renowned meeting destinations, Türkiye has set standards in developing the knowledge enhancement and the innovation economy of our industry. ICCA is proud to welcome and designate Türkiye as a Destination partner for Europe. Our partnership and long-term collaboration will enable Türkiye to showcase its commitment to the global meetings industry and the association community. Moreover, through this collaborative effort, ICCA will contribute to the progress of the destination’s objectives,” said ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath.
Türkiye’s largest city, Istanbul, is already a leading host destination for international association meetings in the region. Between 2010 and 2020, Istanbul hosted 1,623 association meetings and received accolades for events such as the FDI World Dental Congress (15,000 delegates), the EADV International Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (8,100 delegates), and the 23rd World Energy Congress (10,000 delegates). Antalya is also a leading MICE destination of Türkiye and host city for ICCA Congress in 2014.
Turkish minister of culture and tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, stated that “The pandemic period brought the MICE industry and international congresses to a standstill, which is one of the most important tourism types in terms of destination competition all over the world. However, with the ongoing normalisation, international congresses and meetings have started to come to life all over the world. At this very point, we are implementing an important co-operation by signing a Destination Partnership Agreement with ICCA in order to reposition our country among the leading destinations in international congress tourism.”
