ITO President Avdagiç: New regulations for overseas spending should be on the agenda

Istanbul Chamber of Commerce President Şekib Avdagiç, speaking at the Tourism Investment Forum 2026, pointed out that spending abroad rose significantly last year. Stating that domestic alternatives must be increased to meet the tourism expectations of Turkish citizens, Avdagiç expressed that this would help keep spending within the country.

Sharing data regarding hotel prices in the sector, Avdagiç said that Istanbul remains at low levels compared to other major cities in the world and that this situation prevents hotel revenues from reaching their potential. "For Istanbul to have a stronger position in tourism, it is extremely important that we both increase our hotel and room capacity and create a concept where incoming tourists can spend more on accommodation," he said.

REITERATED WARNING AGAINST CHINESE TEMU AND SIMILAR PLATFORMS

Recalling that he had previously supported the removal of the 30-euro limit applied to overseas shopping, Avdagiç had stated that spending through international e-commerce sites had exceeded individual needs and reached a commercial scale, and that measures should be taken in this regard. He reiterated his past warnings with the words: "Shopping from e-commerce sites like China's Temu and Shein has now moved beyond personal needs and started to become commercialized. This is a significant danger. Even if they are theoretically all for personal needs, we must take precautions against this."

Continuing his speech at the forum, Avdagiç stated that priority should be given to policies that will increase revenue per room in tourism investments, adding that he believes investments in Istanbul will be shaped in this direction. He also announced that a new investment of 40,000 square meters is being launched at the Istanbul Expo Center in Yeşilköy, in addition to the existing 100,000 square meters of exhibition space. He also highlighted that thanks to a 7,000-square-meter, column-free floor, the new facility will be able to host international congresses of 12,000 to 14,000 people.

News Source: 12punto