News

MAYOR MANDALİNCİ PRESENTS BODRUM’S TOURISM VISION AT ITF 2026

24.09.2026

The International Istanbul Tourism Fair (ITF 2026) has opened at the Yenikapı Eurasia Exhibition and Arts Centre, bringing together tourism businesses, destinations and industry professionals from around the world.

More than 345 companies from 29 countries and 300 international tourism professionals from 39 countries are taking part in the fair. Participants include major travel agencies and tour operators, hotels, tourism businesses, service providers, municipalities and international buyers.

A Muğla Destination Session was also held on the opening day of the tourism summit.

Moderated by Ahmet Aras, Mayor of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality and President of the Coastal Aegean Municipalities Union, the session brought together Bodrum Mayor Tamer Mandalinci, Marmaris Mayor Acar Ünlü, Didim Mayor Hatice Gençay and Ayvalık Mayor Mesut Ergin.

International tour operators, tourism professionals, travel agency representatives, hotel investors and tourism media attending the fair also followed the session. Mayor Mandalinci used his remarks to focus on sustainable tourism and the need to extend Bodrum’s visitor season beyond the traditional summer months. “Sustainability is essential if tourism success is to last,” Mandalinci said. “Bodrum has a long heritage of fishing, sponge diving and the Blue Voyage. Our task is to preserve these values while diversifying them and extending tourism beyond a three-month summer season.” He said the municipality’s aim was to develop activities that could help extend the tourism season to six, eight or even nine months.

Mandalinci also highlighted Bodrum Municipality’s work on agro-tourism and rural tourism, particularly in areas where village life, agriculture and experience-based tourism can be brought together.

He said the municipality had developed a local growth model focused on supporting local producers and creating added value from Bodrum mandarins, including the early-harvest Green Bodrum Mandarin and the winter-season crop.

ITF 2026 will continue on Friday, 25 September with further panels, business meetings and fair activities.