A comparative study for advantages and disadvantages of Istanbul in the world congress tourism market

Sharing of the information in connection with scientific advancements, and necessity of international organizations due to economic developments and socio-cultural relations have accelerated the growth of congress tourism. Its peculiarities such as high economic income, creation of new jobs, multiple effects on other sectors, causing the full tourism season, positive contributions to urbanization process, contribution to image of country and city are the facts that have already been referred to in the previous tourism studies.The demand for the congress tourism, which in fact, is improving with a larger pace than its international counterpart, creates alternative opportunities to varied tourism potential. Congress provide an advertising and development for the tourist congress places and are prestigious, while also are indicators for the success of the country in public management. Congress represent a special kind of tourism. Large cities have many advantages for conferences including accessibility, accommodation, urban amenities and increasingly, as tourism districts are developed attractive physical environments. It is being observed that major cities in Turkey are in an attempt to organize congress, also an infrastructure for accommodation, meeting halls organization experience and marketing is being established. In this study, the place of Istanbul in the world congress market will be evaluated along with its potentials, peculiarities which are necessary for congress tourism in the cities, advantages and disadvantages, conditions of competition in the world congress tourism market compare with other cities which have great share in the congress tourism in the world. Conference and exhibition facilities of Istanbul in each of its districts, changes in the number of visitors, shares and revenues of the congress will be explained and corporate structures and strategies be investigated. This study is a comparative study that compare the Istanbul's potential with respect to too many factors, with other world cities as Barcelona, Stockholm, Brussels, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, Berlin, Budapest, Madrid, Paris, Lisbon, Prague, Vienna. At the end, strategies and suggestions will be made for development of congress tourism in Istanbul.