THE Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB) has kicked off its new global campaign entitled Istanbul: A Tale of Two Cities as the destination develops new facilities and infrastructure that will add opportunities to grow the MICE market.
The global campaign demonstrates the breadth and variety of Istanbul as a destination, highlighting the city’s high-tech modern infrastructure and its monumental history to reflect A Tale of Two Cities.
Ozgul Ozkan Yavuz, general manager for the ICVB, said: “Istanbul in the minds of visitors is a historic and traditional city (but it also has) modern infrastructure and is developing further to equip itself with high-tech facilities.”
The new integrated global PR and advertising campaign will run through 2015 and aims to reach over 550,000 people via international print and digital MICE publications in the US, Europe and India.
Said Yavuz: “We have created this bold and dynamic campaign to strengthen Istanbul’s position in existing markets and reach out to new regions around the world, to project a clearer message about our city, and to highlight and personify Istanbul’s contrasting styles in a huge variety of venues.”
Some of Istanbul’s many event spaces include seven convention centres, three exhibition centres, 49 universities and many unique venues, she said.
The city is in the midst of beefing up its infrastructure – the city’s third airport is targeted for completion by 2018, and will be able to accommodate 150 million passengers per year to make Istanbul the largest airline hub in the world.
Another project is the new Eurosia Tunnel presently under construction that will connect Asia and Europe under the Bosphorus.
The Turkish capital has more than 170 four- and five-star properties with a nearly 97,000 beds currently, and further 102 properties with 46,500 rooms will be added in the next few years.
