TravTalk India Online Magazine
Leading the 40-member delegation on an educational tour to Türkiye recently, Riaz Munshi, National President, OTOAI, says that the destination has huge potential in the India market, with many unexplored cities yet to be discovered by the Indian traveller. Meanwhile, the association is in discussion with Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) to further ease visa processing.
Hazel Jain
Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) in collaboration with the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India (OTOAI), recently organised a familiarisation trip over six nights for its members. It was an immersive journey through Türkiye’s diverse array of attractions, from ancient ruins to breathtaking natural wonders. In addition to sightseeing excursions, the trip included strategic B2B meetings in İstanbul, bringing together Turkish tourism sector representatives and Indian travel agents to foster meaningful discussions and partnerships.
Riaz Munshi, National President, OTOAI, who was leading this delegation, spoke excitedly about the destination. But why Turkiye? “Well, we had been trying to organise a tour to Turkiye since 2020. We were supposed to host the convention here but couldn’t go ahead due to Covid. We have been since then trying to do a Fam tour to Turkiye and that finally came to fruition. Hence, it had been on the agenda for quite some time,” he said.
Members from multiple cities were part of this tour, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Bengaluru and even Rajkot. The 40 individuals included one representative from Turkish Airlines and two from the tourism board. Munshi added, “Turkiye has huge potential for the Indian market. Even today, there is a growth of almost 40 per cent over the last five months. Close to four lakh tourists are visiting Turkiye from India.” In 2023, Türkiye welcomed 2,74,000 tourists from India. This upward trend has continued into 2024, with the first five months alone seeing an impressive 1,26,066 Indian visitors, marking a 34.55 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023. Turkiye has its advantages, Munshi says. Easy visas, direct flights and not too far from India. “During summer, people face issues with getting visas of various countries. When they choose to come to Turkiye, they get visas easily. Within Turkiye also, there are many destinations to explore. Izmir for one is a hugely unexplored town and having visited it this time, we know it is extremely beautiful. So there is lots to explore in Turkiye,” he added.
Visa discussions
OTOAI has been continuing its dialogue about further easing of visas with Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, particularly the sticker visa where the fee is quite high. “We have been requesting them to reduce the fees for sticker visas. It’s fine for online visas, but when travellers don’t have a valid UK or Schengen visa and they need to get visas in India, it becomes expensive. There is a lot of cost difference between a sticker visa and an online visa. We will also request if they can issue multiple entry and long-term visas for Indian nationals,” he added.
The India market is growing fast and a small increase from India means big numbers, he says, adding, “Not only for Turkiye but India will be in the top five source market for many short-haul destinations soon. In a few years, we will come in the top five source market for sure. The destination is not only great for leisure, but also weddings and MICE, and it already sees a lot of high-end events take place in Bodrum and Antalya.”
Offering a piece of advice to his members, Munshi shared, “They must create and focus their own niche. Customers today have access to the internet and are well-informed. So agents need to build relationships with the vendors that are perfect for their clients. And they have to experience the product themselves, keeping in mind their market segment. They must be an expert in their field, they have to be consultants, and need to be two steps ahead of the client. They must create something attractive, in terms of cost and value, then their clients will pay. Develop your network and your knowledge, don’t cut and paste. Today, many agents start doing research after a customer calls. Instead, we should be product-ready and merely tailor it to their requirements. They need to be on top of things.”
