World Tourism Forum Brings Industry Leaders to Istanbul Global Meeting

On 16-18 February, Istanbul hosted the world-renowned World Tourism Forum with the participation of a large number of industry executives, investors and public authorities from around the globe.

Since 2015, the World Tourism Forum has been the meeting point for leaders shaping the global tourism trends.

Under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, and in partnership with leading hospitality, travel and destination management organizations such as Coral Travel, Turkey’s leading tourism company (member of OTI Holding), the World Tourism Forum hosted a three-day intensive tourism conference distinguished with prominent speakers including David Miliband, the President and Chief Executive of International Rescue Committee (IRC); Sphilko Sergey Pavlovich, President of Russian Union of Travel Industry; and Fettah Tamince, Owner of Rixos.

Prime Minister of Republic of Turkey, HH Binali Yıldırım, delivered the opening speech at the World Tourism Forum.

"It is insufficient to evaluate tourism only from an economic point of view- tourism is beyond that. It is primarily the meeting of cultures, the meeting of civilizations," he declared, adding that tourism plays a key role in today’s chaotic world, supporting peace and prosperity. “Tourism encourages communication between different cultures,” he said.

Naming tourism as an ambassador of peace and a main factor in resisting violence through hospitality and unity, HH Binali Yıldırım provided rich statistics and numerous facts and figures showing tourism’s increasing role in economic development.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017, OTI Holding hosted foreign guests, together with Coral Travel agents in Turkey and other special guests, at the Coral Travel booth during the World Tourism Forum in the Istanbul Congress Center. Twenty foreign press members in the OTI group got the chance to interview senior managers from OTI Holding and Coral Travel throughout the Forum. On the opening day, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım visited the Coral Travel booth and started a successful new season for OTI managers.

In addition to the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) Special Envoy and OTI Holding Board of Directors consultant Dr. Michael Frenzel, and Russian Tourism Industry President Sphilko Sergey, who also delivered speeches during the Forum, Artur Grocholski, President of the National Association of Travel Agents of Poland; Ukrainian Ministry of Economy Tourism Department Director Ivan Liptuga, Head of Kiev City Management Tourism Department Anton Taranenko, and Tunisian Tourism National Office General Director Abdellatif H’mam visited the Forum as OTI guests. During the gala night organized in Çıragan Kempinski on the last day of the World Tourism Forum, Coral Travel Group was given the "Perfect Tourism Group" award.

The World Tourism Forum embodies a professional staff under the leadership of its president, Bulut Bagcı. The World Tourism Forum, based in Istanbul, Turkey, was founded with the purpose of bringing all tourism industry leaders around the world together. World Tourism Forum is a high-level platform to discuss tourism and other linked disciplines in different aspects. It is organized four times every year in global centers around the world, bringing together world tourism leaders and tourism industry representatives. Regional meetings are held three times a year in different cities around the world and one global meeting is held once a year in Istanbul.

George Sharashidze