ISTANBUL CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU SIGNS STRATEGIC DEAL WITH TRIPADVISOR

The Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau has signed a partnership agreement to manage Istanbul’s official promotion pages on TripAdvisor for a year. 

The pages will be managed by One Istanbul, the official digital brand and destination marketing program of the city. 

The official launch and press conference for the project was recently hosted by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau President Şekib Avdagiç and TripAdvisor Principal Destination Partnership Manager (Europe, Middle East & Africa) Chad Shiver at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce.

Avdagiç said: “We are taking a new step which will increase the number of visitors to Istanbul at a tremendous rate. This year, Istanbul’s number of visitors will be greater than its population for the first time in its history and we are preparing our city for bigger and greater goals. 

“We will be promoting the Istanbul brand and its products via social media integration and spreading the energy of our city to the world in a stronger way. We will also create enriched reports with in-depth analysis by using visitor engagement & usage data and providing an Istanbul visitors graphic for long-term use.

“At Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau, we are aiming to receive the “World’s Number One Destination” title in TripAdvisor’s rankings, and we would like to make sure that our place is long-lasting. We will represent Istanbul in an exceptional way and once again, make our big break in the global congress & event industry.”

Avdagiç says Istanbul is embracing digital transformation, with 92% of tourists trusting travel platforms such as TripAdvisor and social media comments and tips more than traditional destination advertisements. 

Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau is planning to create regional/themed guides to restaurants, venues and hotels in Istanbul. The city’s brands, products, and events social media integrated pages. 

In addition, Istanbul plans to announce its digital transformation across the world with TripAdvisor’s targeted ads. By using the tools that TripAdvisor offers, the city will also draw the attention of tourists who are planning to travel to other competitor destinations.

“We’ve seen a huge resurgence of interest in travel to Turkey, with a 49% gain in people viewing the country over the past two years,” said Shiver. “Travellers interest in visiting Turkey is at an all-time high, and much of this growth has been fuelled by Istanbul and all that it has to offer to travellers in terms of a wealth of history, culture, cuisine and hospitality. We’re thrilled to say that in 2018, Istanbul was among our users’ favourite destinations in the world. In fact, the city was ranked number eight globally in our Travellers’ Choice Destinations Awards. The Travellers’ Choice award is the highest honour TripAdvisor can bestow.”

Avdagiç says the promotional pages will increase attention towards Istanbul. 

“Information about the beauty and the attractions of the city will now be more instantly accessible, accurate and reliable than ever before,” he said. “In upcoming years, Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau has the goal of Istanbul earning the title of ‘World’s number one destination’. The Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau is ready to create a lasting impact in the digital world and increase tourism by actively promoting Istanbul around the world.”

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