‘Davos of Tourism' to be held from February 4-6 in Istanbul

Industry leaders will gather at the World Tourism Forum (WTF), known as the "Davos of Tourism," with the purpose of discussing the future of world tourism.

The WTF will be held for the second time Feb. 4-6 in Istanbul, the designated location for the forum. The new African market and the effects that recent border security crackdowns have had on tourism will be discussed at the summit, which will take place at the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Convention and Exhibition Center.

At the press conference on Tuesday, WTF President Bulut Bağcı said, "Our aim is to bring investors and leaders together and steer world tourism to Istanbul. Last April, we held the World Tourism Forum for the first time and discussed the problems of the industry. This year, we will be hosting 7,000 participants in Istanbul at the organization where 100 connoisseurs of the tourism industry will take part as speakers."

The second WTF will be held with the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, deputy prime minister in charge of the economy, Mehmet Şimşek, the former president of the European Commission (EC), José Manuel Barroso, as well as many opinion leaders, investors, political figures and industry representatives.