- From 31 May to 3 June, Antalya, the tourist hub of the Turkish Riviera, will host Sports & Events Türkiye, the country’s first international sports tourism platform.
- The event will bring together more than 300 industry professionals, following its international launch in Seville, thereby strengthening the link between the European market and this new Turkish event.
Türkiye continues to strengthen its position as one of the most prominent emerging destinations for international sports tourism, within a global sports events market that is forecast to reach $609.07 billion by 2031. The combination of first-class MICE infrastructure and a modern, well-developed sports ecosystem has enabled the country to establish itself as a strategic venue for major professional gatherings and competitions with a global reach.
It is against this backdrop that Sports & Events Türkiye, the country’s first international sports tourism platform, makes its debut in Antalya, the main tourist hub of the Turkish Riviera. The event is organised under the auspices of the Sports Tourism Association (STB), the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Antalya Governorate and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), and will bring together key players from the sports, travel and events sectors at an international level.
Sports & Events Türkiye will serve as a meeting point for Turkish suppliers and strategic international buyers, particularly from Eurasia and the Middle East, facilitating collaboration opportunities in areas such as sports travel, group tourism, tournament organisation and high-performance training programmes. In this way, the event reinforces Türkiye’s role as a regional and international hub for the sports tourism industry.
The event builds on the success of Sports & Events Europe, held in destinations such as Mallorca and Valencia, and follows its international launch at Sports & Events Seville. The Turkish edition is expected to bring together more than 300 international professionals, alongside over 80 local operators and suppliers, and generate more than 1,000 B2B meetings. The programme will combine networking sessions and professional meetings with visits to hotels and sports facilities, sporting activities, experiences in the city of Antalya and an exclusive gala.
The diversity of its sporting activities is one of Türkiye’s greatest assets. Thanks to its four distinct seasons and varied geography, the country offers sporting experiences all year round, ranging from hiking trails along ancient historic paths and cycling routes to adventure sports such as paragliding. In summer, diving and kitesurfing along the coast are highlights; in winter, snow sports in the mountains; whilst spring and autumn are ideal for activities such as golf or rafting.
This versatility has established Türkiye as a host for top-tier international sporting events, including the Tour de Türkiye, the Bosphorus Cup and world-renowned trail running events such as KAÇKAR BY UTMB. The recognition of these competitions continues to grow, as demonstrated by the recent award for the Salomon Cappadocia Ultra Trail, which was honoured in the Community Impact in Sports Tourism category at the Awards for Excellence in Sustainable Sports Tourism.
Antalya, a year-round sports destination
The choice of Antalya as the venue for Sports & Events Türkiye stems from its status as one of the Mediterranean’s leading tourist destinations, with a mild climate and around 300 days of sunshine a year, making it an ideal location for sporting activities all year round. The region offers a wide variety of activities, from hiking on the Lycian Way or cycling routes between Mount Tahtalı and the coast, to golf in Belek, diving in Kaş, rafting in the Köprülü Canyon or climbing in Geyikbayırı.
Antalya is also one of the most sought-after destinations for football training camps and team gatherings, thanks to the quality of its facilities and services, and boasts a prominent calendar of international sporting events, including the Turkish Airlines Open, endurance events such as Runtalya and the Alanya Ultra Trail, and cycling competitions such as the Tour of Antalya. Having hosted major global events such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) and the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), the city is now strengthening its international profile as a leader in sports tourism with the hosting of Sports & Events Türkiye.
About the TÜRKİYE TOURISM PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY (TGA)
TGA operates to ensure that Türkiye is a recognised brand in national and international tourism, to promote Türkiye’s tangible and intangible, natural, cultural, biological and man-made heritage, and to engage in short-, medium- and long-term communication and marketing activities, with the aim of increasing the contribution of tourism investment to the national economy and improving the quality of service in tourism.
TGA is responsible for carrying out all promotional, marketing and communication activities to help Türkiye achieve its tourism objectives, promote and market existing tourism resources worldwide, and identify, develop and make potential tourism resources available online, in line with the tourism strategies and policies drawn up by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Source: COMUNICACIÓN IBEROAMERICANA