You’ll Never Walk Alone With Turkish Holidays

A new partnership between Liverpool FC and the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office looks likely to raise the profile of cheap holidays in Turkey.

Considering one of the many cheap holidays in Turkey next year? Canny operators at Liverpool Football Club are hoping the Reds’ supporters are thinking along the same lines, having just signed a pioneering deal with the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office.

The deal is the first of its kind for Turkey in the UK and makes the popular holiday destination Liverpool FC’s official tourism partner – a package which will include enhanced advertising rights for both parties, among other things.

The Turkish Culture and Tourism Office’s director Tolga Tuyluoglu said that since the football club won the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, there has been a close association between Liverpool supporters and his country, pointing out that “over one quarter of those taking package holidays to Turkey do so from the north-west of England, so this area is very important to Turkey.”

There have been other cross-marketing initiatives involving companies involved in the travel industry and the English Premier League in recent years, such as Etihad Airways’ promotional deal with Manchester City FC and fellow Middle Eastern airline Emirates becoming an official sponsor of Arsenal FC, but this is the first time that a UK football club has become the official tourism partner of an entire country.

Turkey is also keen to splash its credentials as a great destination for the whole family. An ABTA survey at the end of last month placed cheap holidays in Turkey in the top ten list of top family getaways. Respondents cited the good exchange rate with the pound, the sunny weather and the excellent facilities at Turkey’s ever-growing number of tourist resorts, plus “safe, clean beaches” and a multitude of activities for kids of all ages, plus boat trips, excursions to fascinating ancient remains and some very tasty food.