Press releases

“Merhaba Ispanya” – the first workshop held in Türkiye- will take place in Istanbul from 16 – 18 February, bringing together over 130 Turkish travel agencies, 5 airlines, and 31 Spanish exhibitors.

Roma, February 13, 2026

The Spanish Institute of Tourism (Turespaña), a public agency attached to the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, through the Spanish Tourism Office in Rome, is holding from 16 to 18 February the Direct Sales Support Workshop for the Turkish market 2026. These are the first workshops ever organized in this emerging market with great growth potential for Spanish destinations. The event will bring together 31 Spanish organizations (14 destinations and 17 companies), 5 airlines (Vueling, Air Europa, Turkish Airlines, Ajet, Pegasus), and the participation of more than 130 Turkish travel agencies. Given the high level of interest in this market, the workshops will be supported by the Embassy of Spain in the Republic of Türkiye. The goal of these workshops is to promote the Spanish tourism offer in the Turkish market and to strengthen comercial cooperation in a sector with outstanding potential, boosted by the remarkable increase in air connectivity. In 2025, seat capacity between Spain and Türkiye surpassed 1.5 million, making it the international market with the highest growth in air connections (+26.5% compared to 2024). The sessions will involve the main Spanish and Turkish Airlines operating flights between Istanbul and Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, Seville, Málaga, as well as between Ankara and Madrid/Barcelona, and between Izmir and Madrid/Barcelona.

A three-day agenda to enhance knowledge and strengthen comercial ties.

Throughout the event, various activities will take place in Istanbul to help the Spanish delegation gain deeper insight into the Turkish market and its opportunities. 16 February will feature a professional presentation for the Spanish participants on the Turkish tourism market – key data, features, potential, and opportunities- followed by an overview of Türkiye´s media landscape, focusing on tourism-specialized outlets, social networks, and communication channels. The day will close with a networking reception hosted by H. E. Ms. Cristina Latorre, Ambassador of Spain to Türkiye, with the participation of Ms. Ana Menéndez, Consul General of Spain in Istanbul, airline executives, tourism authorities, journalist and travel influencers.

17 February will be dedicated to a full-day B2B workshop, featuring two sessions (morning and afternoon) of ten-minute one-to-one meetings between exhibitors and travel professionals. Over 1,000 meetings are expected to take place. Coffee and lunch breaks in a networking format have also been scheduled to encourage informal interaction and contact-building. Two blocks of B2B presentations will also be held during the workshop, featuring: - Gonzalo Ceballos – Tourism Counsellor, embassy of Spain in Türkiye - Macid Boyar – Sales Director, AJet - Mirey Göldağ – General Manager Türkiye, Air Europa - Zekai Burc Erener – Sales Director Barcelona, Turkish Airlines - Marta Ríos – Director, Across Spain DMC - Gloria Navarro – Communications & Marketing director, Costa Blanca - Ángela Risueño – Sales Director, Vueling The day will conclude with a gala cocktail to foster informal networking and relationship-building in a relaxed atmosphere. 18 February will focus on deepening understanding of the Turkish distribution system through a professional visit to TÜRSAB, the Association of Turkish Travel agencies. TÜRSAB is a public-law professional body; registration with the association is mandatory for operating as a licensed travel agency in Türkiye. It brings together all travel agencies in the country, making it the largest professional tourism organization within the country.

The booming Turkish market: tripling arrivals and doubling spending

2024 marked a turning point in tourism relations between Spain and Türkiye, with a +79.5% increase in visitor numbers and a +118% rise in total expenditure compared to the previous year. The positive trend continued into 2025, with Turkish arrivals rising by +4.92% year-on-year, reaching a record 642,148 travellers who spent a total of 872€ million, up 3.18% form 2024. The average spends per trip reached 1,943€, and the average daily expenditure soared to 395€, double that of the average international tourist (195€). Thesee results confirm Türkiye as a premium, fast-growing market, with figures that since 2022 have tripled arrivals and doubled total spending (+118% cumulative growth). The diversification of travel motivations among Turkish visitors also reflects a maturing market. While cultural tourism remains dominant, sports and shopping tourism play a growing role, alongside emerging trends such as gastronomic tourism and the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Events) segment. According to Gonzalo Ceballos, Tourspain´s Tourism Counsellor in Rome and responsible for the Turkish market: “The high daily expenditure confirms that Turkish travellers represent a premium segment with exceptional spending capacity”. We can distinguish two main profiles: “The first group includes less experienced international travellers, largely attracted to structured cultural itineraries and organized packages offering security and assistance; the second group consists of experienced travellers with solid European backgrounds, many holding multiple-entry Schengen visas, who plan independent, personalized trips with diverse interest and high spending potential.”

More Information: Spanish Tourism Summit Merhaba Ispanya: https://merhabaispanya2026.glueup.com/event/merhaba-ispanya-2026-164680/ Spanish Tourism Office in Rome: roma@tourspain.es Türkiye´s market report 2025: https://conocimiento.tourspain.es/export/sites/conocimiento/.content/Informes/informe-basico/2025/17-turquia-informe-basico-2025.pdf   Press – Spanish Tourism Office in Rome #VisitSpain #ThinkyouKnowSpain #Merhabaispanya2026 arturo.escudero@tourspain.es www.spain.info   Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spain.info X: https://x.com/spain Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spain/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/spain Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@visitspain LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spaininturkiye