Istanbul plans to increase tourist flow in Ramadan

This year the new project "Ramadan in Istanbul" aims to increase the number of tourists coming to Istanbul during Ramadan. It is a joint initiative of the Culture Ministry, the Ministry of Development, the Istanbul Governor's Office, and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. A meeting to introduce the project and gather public opinion was held recently at the Marmara Hotel. Cumhur Guven Tasbasi, the head of publicity at the Culture Ministry, announced plans to carry out different projects in Istanbul, supported by advertising campaigns in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt. "Our goal is to point out the significance of Ramadan and draw tourists from those countries," Tasbasi said. There has been a 21 percent increase in the number of the tourists visiting Istanbul, he said, adding that this tourism should be varied and spread out over the whole year. During Ramadan, as part of the new project, the Culture Ministry's jazz orchestra will give four concerts as part of the event Jazz in Ramadan. Kadir Topbas, the mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, said Istanbul is a unique place that affects the whole world. "In 2004, the number of tourists visiting Istanbul was not even three million, but now it has risen to nine to 10 million," he said. "To take advantage of new opportunities, we initiated Ramadan in Istanbul." Religious tourism has a particularly significant place in the Islamic world, Topbas said. "After seeing the increase in [tourist] numbers, we thought it would be logical to start this event." Istanbul is becoming an important tourism destination, according to Basaran Ulusoy, head of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB). "Tourists from the Middle East used to come to Turkey only in the summer season, but now they have their vacations in the winter and spring as well," said Timur Bayindir, the head of the Touristic Hotel Managers and Investors Association. Bayindir added that the industry hoped to attract more tourists with Ramadan in Istanbul, and "it turned out to be a success." As part of the Ramadan event, many stores will remain open at night, he said.