Istanbul preparing for Champions League Final

Umut Erdem- ISTANBUL

The Culture and Tourism Ministry has organized a series of events to enhance the promotion of Istanbul internationally prior to the upcoming Champions League final match scheduled for June 10.

The final will be held at Istanbul’s Atatürk Olympic Stadium between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

With less than a week left before the final, preparations are underway in the metropolis.

The ministry and the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) have planned a series of events supported and implemented by Türkiye’s official tourism platform “Go Türkiye” in order to increase the promotion of Istanbul abroad before the final.

As part of the promotion, the UEFA Champions League Cup will be toured around various locations of Istanbul, including Sultanahmet Square, Galata Tower, Istanbul Archaeological Museum, Rami Library, Kuzguncuk, Balat, Ortaköy Square and Ataturk Cultural Center.

Between June 6-11, three different flags featuring the logos of the two finalist teams and UEFA’s final 2023 logo will be displayed on the Bosporus Bridge.

Within the scope of the project, UEFA YouTube channel will host the famous football players who have quit football and are still running balls on green fields under the moderation of former UEFA Corporate Communications Director Pedro Pinto.

During the same period, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., promotional films on Türkiye, trailers of YouTube talks, logos of the finalist’s teams and the 2023 Istanbul final logo will be reflected on the Galata Tower.

Furthermore, a festival called “Champions Festival” will be held in the Yenikapı district from June 8-11, featuring performances by world-famous DJs, Lost Frequencies, Guillaume de Kadebostany, Chris Luno b2b Ceaus, and EMIRAN.

In the meantime, tourism sector representatives stated they expect an intense tourist activity in Istanbul ahead of the weekend when the final will be played.

Around 65,000 foreign guests are expected to arrive in the city, stated Firuz Bağlıkaya, the head of the Union of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB).

Bağlıkaya also estimated that the final match in Istanbul would generate more than $120 million in revenue, based on the prediction of an average expenditure of $2,000 per person.