Istanbul will host the Tourism Investment Forum 2026 on 10–11 February at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, bringing together leading global investors, hotel brands, financial institutions and policymakers to shape the future of tourism investment.
Organised by the Turkish Tourism Investors Association with the support of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye and, for the first time, main sponsorship from Türkiye İş Bankası, the event is positioned as one of the sector’s most influential international platforms. More than 90 speakers, over 20 sessions and more than 1,500 senior participants are expected to attend.
The forum comes as global tourism investment is valued at $11.7 trillion in 2025 and projected to reach $16.5 trillion by 2035, according to World Travel and Tourism Council figures cited by organisers. Over two days, discussions will focus on financing, new travel trends, luxury and lifestyle brands, culture and arts, wellness and medical tourism, alongside investment opportunities across Türkiye. The organisers say the event aims to connect global capital with the country’s expanding tourism sector.
Ahead of the forum, industry leaders gathered in Istanbul for a press briefing outlining the strategic goals behind TIF 2026 and the broader direction of Turkish tourism investment. The meeting was attended by senior representatives of the Turkish Tourism Investors Association, including board members and executive leadership, who highlighted the need for Türkiye to reposition itself in an increasingly competitive global market.
Speaking at the briefing, Oya Narin, President of the Turkish Tourism Investors Association, said “Turkish tourism is no longer competing solely on volume; it’s competing on value, quality, and transformation. At TIF 2026, we will address a broad agenda ranging from investment financing to new product categories, branding to experience design, through the shared vision of the public and private sectors. Our aim is to strengthen Türkiye’s growing tourism capacity of the last 10 years with the investment language of the coming period and to generate value sustainably.”
Narin emphasised that while Türkiye remains one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, the sector faces intensifying competition as rival markets scale up their investment and infrastructure. She pointed to record visitor numbers across southern Europe and major tourism expansion drives in the Middle East and North Africa as signals that long-term planning and international collaboration are now essential for maintaining Türkiye’s global position.
She said “Today, Turkey is among the leading tourism countries in the world. However, at this point, Turkish tourism needs repositioning and a new tourism initiative. Because our traditional competitors are also continuing to grow. Spain closed 2025 with the highest number of visitors in its history, 143.9 million. Italy’s number of foreign visitors in 2025 increased by 8.7 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 104 million people. Spain accommodates these visitors in 1.2 million hotel beds, 440,000 tourist residence beds, 148,000 rural tourism facility beds, and 276,000 camping beds.”
Narin also highlighted the scale of investment being channelled into tourism by countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, alongside renewed tourism strategies across Spain, Greece and Italy. She argued that Türkiye must adopt a multi-dimensional investment approach over the next 10 to 15 years, particularly in financing structures, global branding and diversified tourism products.
Addressing the structure of Türkiye’s hotel market, Narin noted the growing presence of branded accommodation across the country and the opportunity to strengthen both domestic and international chains. She said research conducted in 2023 identified 67 hotel chains and groups operating in Türkiye, encompassing 722 properties and around 157,000 rooms, underlining the sector’s scale but also its potential for further consolidation and international reach.
The forum’s organisers see TIF 2026 as a strategic platform to connect Türkiye more deeply with global capital flows as tourism investment accelerates worldwide. With the global travel and tourism ecosystem expected to grow by nearly 50% by 2035, the event aims to position Istanbul as a meeting point for decision-makers shaping the next decade of tourism development.
Since its launch in 2020, the Tourism Investment Forum has expanded its international profile, attracting hundreds of global investors, hotel operators, fund managers and financial institutions each year. Last year’s edition drew more than 750 international participants, reinforcing its reputation as one of the world’s leading tourism-focused investment gatherings.
TIF 2026 will bring together investors, developers, global hotel brands, public sector representatives and sector leaders across two days of panels and networking sessions. Organisers say the goal is to create a shared vision for Türkiye’s next phase of tourism growth while strengthening the country’s role within the rapidly expanding global travel investment landscape.
