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TURKEY – TURKEY FOCUSES ON MICE AND SPORTS: SPORTS & EVENTS TÜRKİYE KICKS OFF
Turkey is betting on Antalya as a key international destination to strengthen its development strategy in sports tourism and the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) segment. From May 31 to June 3, 2026, Antalya will host the first edition of Sports & Events Türkiye, a B2B format dedicated to connecting global operators in the sports, events, and business travel sectors.
Promoted by the Sports Tourism Association (STB), with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Antalya Governorship, and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), the event will bring together over 300 international operators and more than 80 local suppliers. The agenda features over 1,000 pre-organized B2B meetings. The platform also aims to strengthen commercial ties between Turkish operators and buyers from Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East.
A Strategic Business Platform
The format serves as an operational platform for developing new business opportunities across the entire sports tourism supply chain—from organized travel and tournaments to professional training programs. The goal is to expand the connection between international demand and local supply, helping to generate economic benefits for the entire tourism ecosystem.
Alongside the business meetings, the program includes:
- Networking sessions
- Technical visits to sports and hotel facilities
- Experiential activities to provide operators with a concrete vision of the destination’s potential.
Integration and Growth
The growing integration between sports tourism and the MICE segment represents one of the most significant development pillars for modern destinations. By combining meetings and incentives with sports experiences, destinations can diversify their offerings, encourage off-season travel, and attract high-spending segments.
With this perspective, Turkey aims to reinforce its role as a bridge between international markets, leveraging the synergy between event infrastructure, sports offerings, and accessibility.
Antalya: The Hub of Excellence
In recent years, Antalya has solidified its profile by highlighting its most attractive features:
- 300 days of sunshine per year.
- Extensive accommodation capacity and modern infrastructure.
- A structured calendar of events including the Tour of Türkiye, the Turkish Airlines Open, and the Tour of Antalya.
This is further supported by the city’s extensive experience in hosting major international events, global conferences, and high-profile congresses, which continue to bolster the destination’s credibility in the MICE sector.