Istanbul Chamber of Commerce President Şekip Avdagiç said conference tourism had become a strategic sector contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the city's economy.
According to information provided by Avdagiç, Istanbul has hosted around 500 conferences since 2022 and welcomed approximately 200,000 convention tourists. Visitors spending up to $4,000 per person generated more than $800 million in foreign-currency revenue for the city.
$120 million in revenue in the first eight months of the year
Sixty-seven conferences were held in Istanbul during the first eight months of the year. These events, attended by approximately 30,000 people, generated around $120 million in revenue through accommodation, transportation, city tours, restaurants and food services.
Avdagiç said conference revenues were not limited to hotels, creating broad economic activity that also benefited restaurants, shop owners, tour guides and transportation companies.
Avdagiç said the more than $800 million in revenue generated over the past five years reflected only direct spending, adding that the total impact was higher as this spending circulated through the local economy. Some conference participants extended their stays in the city, later returned to Istanbul for holidays with their families and recommended the city to people around them.
Istanbul aims to become an international conference hub
Avdagiç said Istanbul had strengthened its global position through its performance in international conference tourism in recent years. He said the Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau, which he also chairs, aims to transform the city from merely a tourism destination into a global hub hosting major international conferences.
Avdagiç said conference tourism provided high added value to Istanbul, supporting scientific and professional knowledge exchange, international business ties and various economic activities across the city. He said the spending of conference visitors on accommodation, restaurants, transportation, shopping, cultural and artistic events and urban experiences generated greater economic value than traditional holiday tourism.
Seven congress and three exhibition centers
Avdagiç said Istanbul had seven congress centers and three exhibition centers, with the capacity to host major international events. He added that the city could accommodate events of different sizes, from meetings attended by 100 people to large organizations with 30,000 or more participants.
Avdagiç said the number of international conferences hosted by Istanbul rose from 58 in 2022 to 95 in 2025, adding that the city ranked 18th globally in 2025, its best result in the past 10 years. He said Istanbul's goal was to rank among the world's 10 most important conference destinations.
AI-powered application under development
The Istanbul Convention and Visitors Bureau is developing an artificial intelligence-powered application that will enable conference organizers to access the information and data they need quickly and easily. The project, titled "Virtual Assistant to Support Conferences," is scheduled for completion in 2027.
Avdagiç said that, to the best of their knowledge, similar applications focused on conference tourism currently existed only in Singapore and Saudi Arabia. He said the project aims to make Istanbul one of the leading technology-driven destinations for conference tourism.
