Turkey’s ‘Island Cyprus’ campaign to boost tourism in Turkish Cyprus

Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, speaking at the Istanbul launch of the new "Island Cyprus" brand, created to promote TRNC tourism, said it was highly valuable and encouraging to have a master plan for tourism.

Stressing that Ankara wants TRNC to reach a much stronger position in tourism, he said: "Last year, Turkey had a tourism income exceeding $61 billion. We hosted more than 62 million guests in our country. The TRNC Tourism Master Plan and Island Cyprus Campaign, which were introduced today, are concrete indicators of our common vision in this direction."

He highlighted the TRNC's natural beauty, rich history, cultural heritage, and cuisine, noting that the Island Cyprus campaign aims to promote these assets to a wider audience and reposition the country with its unique island identity.

Turkey's support for the TRNC

He noted that Turkey has allocated 122 million Turkish liras for tourism and culture since 2024, with total financial cooperation reaching $21 billion. He stressed Turkey's continued support for the TRNC in various sectors, including transportation, health, education, and infrastructure, and reaffirmed commitment to both peace and prosperity through tangible projects.

Yılmaz stated that the "Century of Turkey" would also be the "Century of the TRNC", highlighting the 2025 Economic and Financial Cooperation Agreement as a foundation for enhanced cooperation and solidarity between Turkey and the TRNC.

TRNC President Ersin Tatar, speaking at the event, highlighted tourism as key to the island's future, noting growth from five to six weekly flights in the past to 600 monthly flights now, bringing about 500,000 Turkish passengers each month. Despite isolation and restrictions, he emphasized that the tourism capacity has surpassed 35,000 with high visitor satisfaction.

Tatar also drew attention to the global exposure generated through TEKNOFEST - Turkey's first aerospace and technology festival.