Abstract

The case discusses how Turkey is emerging as a value-based tourist destination at a time when many other tourist destinations, particularly those in Europe, are reeling under the impact of the economic slowdown. It examines the initiatives taken by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MoT) to transform Turkey into a favorable tourist destination. The case provides detailed information on the growth of the tourism industry in Turkey. Over the years, the tourism sector in Turkey grew rapidly and constituted an important part of the economy of Turkish towns and cities. In addition to sea-sand-sun tourism, Turkey offered alternative forms of tourism such as winter, highland and health tourism, as well as nature sports, making it one of the most preferred tourist destinations across the world. In 2009, the MoT invested significantly in promoting Turkey as a tourist hotspot. This was in line with its long-term tourism strategy to become one of the five top destinations in the world by increasing the number of tourists and tourist receipts by 2023. The case discusses the massive promotional campaign launched by MoT in different countries with the aim of attracting more visitors and strengthening Turkey’s position as a global tourism brand. As part of the campaign, MoT came out with a series of television commercials, destination films, and promotional events highlighting the best features of Turkey. How it handled the promotional activities in certain key markets are also discussed. The case goes into the challenges faced by the Turkish tourism sector and how they might affect the growth of the sector in the future.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the tourism industry in Turkey and study the factors which contributed to the growth of the tourism industry in the country. Understand the role played by marketing, particularly the promotional campaigns, in developing the tourism industry of a c

Keywords

Value-based tourist destination, Destination branding, Turkish tourism, Tourist sector/industry, Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Tourism promotional campaigns, Tourism potential, Tourism strategy of Turkey, Economic recession, Unique selling propositions, Regional advertising , "Unlimited Turkey", Alternative tourism, Sea-sand-sun tourism, Tourist arrivals, Turkish landscapes, Tourism fairs, Tourism receipts, Health tourism, Turkish culture