Turkish tourism boom sparks hope for direct Kol-Istanbul flight
Times of India | 25 February 2025
12 Kolkata: Turkish tourism officials are confident that the growth in tourist traffic from Kolkata and eastern India to Turkiye will make it a strong contender for a direct flight between the city and Istanbul.
Speaking to TOI, the Turkish cultural and tourism ministry deputy director general Onur Gozet said the potential for a direct service between Kolkata and Istanbul is huge. "One of the most important aspects is transport. It is one of the priorities in tourism activities. There is no direct flight from Kolkata to Turkiye yet, but given the response of travel companies to the roadshow that we organised in the city on Monday and the steady rise in tourist traffic to Turkiye from this region, airlines will look at Kolkata as a potential market to start a direct flight," he said.
Last year, 3.4 lakh Indians visited Turkiye, of which at least 10% were from Kolkata. Travellers from the city and elsewhere in the east have to travel to Turkiye via Delhi or Mumbai. At present, Turkish Airlines and IndiGo Airlines each have daily connections to Istanbul from both cities.
Turkish Airlines evaluated the feasibility of introducing flights from Kolkata to Istanbul multiple times in the past. While filling up high-yield business class seats on international flights from Kolkata was a concern, there was no doubt over the potential to fill up economy class seats in a flight between the two cities.
"Kolkata is the most important market for us after Delhi and Mumbai. That is why we have started this six-city roadshow from Kolkata. In all, 30 Turkish companies — travel agents, tour operators, hotels, and restaurants are participating in the event that has attracted a huge response from travel agents and tour operators from Kolkata," the ministry official said. The Turkish delegation also included Basak Onsal Demir, counsellor for culture and tourism at the embassy of Turkiye and Cagla Yontem, director for MICE (Wedding and Incentives).
Turkiye is the fifth largest tourist destination in the world, with 6.2 crore visitors in 2024. The Turkish tourism industry revenue was pegged around $61 billion last year.
Stay updated with breaking news, bank holidays and upcoming public holidays in march.