The Istanbul Tourism Fair (ITF) 2025, which brought together tourism professionals from Turkey and around the world, has concluded with Türkiye İş Bankası as its main sponsor. The event, hosted at the Yenikapı Eurasia Show and Art Center, was held for the third time this year.
According to the bank’s statement, ITF continues to serve as a platform not only for showcasing new products and services but also for fostering new collaborations within the global tourism industry.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, İşbank Deputy CEO Sezgin Yılmaz emphasized the resilience, innovation, and adaptability of the tourism sector, calling it one of the strongest industries of the future.
“Tourism is a strategic force that contributes to economic growth, creates employment, and promotes cultural richness worldwide. We stand firmly by the sector under all conditions. To ensure its growth within the framework of sustainability principles, we provide innovative financing models, green investments, and digital solutions. In this journey, we are not only a financing source but also a partner and companion,” he said.
Yılmaz highlighted that the bank has already achieved its commitment made in November 2023 to double its $1 billion loan volume for the tourism sector within two years:
“We are pleased to have reached $2 billion in credit volume by August, ahead of schedule. Looking ahead, we have the financial strength and determination to support the $2.38 billion in new hotel and renovation investments expected in the sector by the end of 2026. We will also provide financing for hotels as they work to meet 42 sustainability criteria across three stages by 2030.”
Above-Sector Growth in Tourism Lending
Yılmaz noted that İşbank’s lending to the tourism sector has grown significantly above the market average. “According to July data from the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) FinTürk system, the growth rate of cash loans provided by banks to the tourism sector was 31.1%, while İşbank achieved 40.85%. In non-cash loans, the sector grew 23.7%, whereas our bank recorded growth of 50.8%,” he stated.
He also underlined the sector’s importance for the Turkish economy, noting that Turkey recorded $48.95 billion in net travel revenues in 2024 and $18.8 billion in the first half of 2025 alone.
Concluding his remarks, Yılmaz said:
“In the coming period, sustainability, digitalization, and technology investments will be the most critical agenda items for the tourism industry. Based on this outlook, we will continue to stand by the sector with green financing solutions, innovative credit models, and digital platforms to support its transformation journey.”
Source: Anadolu Ajansı/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök