The event, inaugurated by TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya, brought together over 100 hosted buyers from 25 cities, including the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and participants from 33 countries, including DMCs (Destination Management Companies), airlines, tourism offices, cruise companies, and sponsor partners. Hüseyin Kurt, Co-Founder of GlobeMeets, stated that the purpose of this inaugural event is to breathe new life into the tourism sector and eliminate boundaries.
Speaking at the event held at JW Marriott Hotel Istanbul Marmara Sea in Istanbul, TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya emphasized the importance of collaborations in the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and Leisure segments to increase Türkiye's tourism revenue. Bağlıkaya said, "In the coming years, we anticipate that the tourism sector will have an even more significant role in the global economy. We believe that B2B events are highly effective and important in achieving synergy among stakeholders. I hope that the GlobeMeets B2B Networking Event will pave the way for new collaborations."
Shaping the future of tourism, GlobeMeets President Hüseyin Kurt underscored the importance of unity within the industry and expressed their goal of bringing together the right buyers with the right service providers at the event. Kurt stated, "This event marks a crucial step in shaping our future. We, as industry stakeholders, have always persevered and supported each other, overcoming every obstacle. With our competitive spirit and our ability to quickly adapt to the world, we believe that we can break down boundaries. In our organization, aimed at breathing new life into the tourism sector and eliminating boundaries, we encourage the establishment of ongoing collaborations and partnerships in the future, along with sharing ideas about new destinations and cultural experiences."
Kurt also mentioned that the event, which brought together agencies from 25 cities and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, as well as DMCs, airlines, cruise companies, and sponsor partners from 33 countries, would involve day-long scheduled one-on-one meetings. Okan Karadağ, General Manager of JW Marriott Hotel Istanbul Marmara Sea, expressed great satisfaction with hosting the event and stated that they expect the GlobeMeets B2B Networking Event to bring a new synergy to the sector.
With the participation of over 700 carefully selected agencies from Istanbul, the GlobeMeets B2B Networking Event brought together a wide range of sector representatives under one roof. These included agencies sending honeymooners and holidaymakers abroad from all corners of Türkiye, as well as those organizing corporate travel, dealer and distributor trips, international cultural tours, and conventions and exhibitions. The event also hosted DMCs, airlines, cruise companies, and many other sector representatives from 25 cities and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Over the course of a day, scheduled one-on-one meetings took place, paving the way for new tourism collaborations. After the event, participants enjoyed delightful moments at the Networking Party held at Fişekhane.