Major travel show in US sponsored by THY

NEW YORK - Anadolu Agency

North America’s largest travel show and trade conference, the New York Times Travel Show, kicked off Jan. 26 under the presenting sponsorship of Turkish Airlines, Turkey’s flagship carrier.

Hosting more than 150 countries, the travel show has more than 560 booths and is expected to attract some 30,000 travelers and industry professional attendees at the Jacob Javits Center in midtown Manhattan in New York. Turkish Airlines was accompanied by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office, a silver sponsor of the show, once again this year.

At the entrance, the office’s booth welcomed hundreds of attendees with Turkish delight and baklava, in addition to views of historic and cultural sites in Turkey, such as the Cappadocia, Ephesus, and the Golden Horn.

Sedat Gönüllüoğlu, who heads the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office in the U.S., also spoke to people attending the show about Turkey.
“It is very important for Turkey, a great tourism country, to be here in Javits Center, here in New York,” Turkish Consul General in New York Ertan Yalçın told state-run Anadolu Agency.

“With its rich culture and history, Turkey is one of the most significant tourism destinations in the world, and the U.S. market is an important one for it,” he said.

Yalçın said he expects the number of tourists from the U.S. to Turkey to rise in the years to come, adding that such shows in the U.S. would help that.

Turkish Airlines New York CEO Cenk Öcal said the carrier, which flies to more countries than any other airline in the world, aims to bridge continents, connect countries, and unite communities.

“As the flagship carrier airline of our country, Turkish Airlines represents the best of Turkish culture and hospitality, delivered on a global scale,” he said during his opening speech of the show.

Turkish Airlines currently flies to nine different destinations in the U.S., including three daily flights to New York City.