Two news bits today concerning Germany’s disposition toward migrants and visitors draw further attention to key Schengen and visa discussion. A report via EurActiv speaks to one side of the German and EU PR aspect, the Roma people being the subject on the one hand. At the other end of Germany’s public relations woes, news that second generation Turks in Germany are headed home suggest the German state is in an exclusivity mood toward some.

The day it opened, the mall attracted nearly 115,000 buyers, 26% of the urban population of Kahramanmaraş.

So far this year, tourism to the Cappadocia region of Turkey seems to be booming. For the first three months of 2013 incoming tourists to the region have increased some 35 percent as compared to 2012 numbers.

It’s a sure sign Spring is on for Turkey, the 6th annual International Tulip Festival started this week in Istanbul. Visitors to the festival will have the awe inspiring view of some 100 million tulips on display in this magical city. Did you know that tulips originated in Turkey and not Holland?

European Best Destination 2013 has named Istanbul, Turkey this year’s people’s choice winner. Istanbul is the fourth city to win the competition, and on the city’s first ever entry into the competition.

100 musicians and dancers from 13 different Turkic nations will be in London for a debut concert Nevruz, presented by TURKSOY. In celebration of the coming Spring Vestival (Nervuz) this wonderful event delivers the music, song, dance and amazing costumes of all Central Asia to London’s from all over Central Asia Westminster Central Hall March 27th.

Istanbul will have a new 210-room hotel in 2016. Fairmont Quasar will be the first hotel of the luxury Fairmont Hotels & Resorts brand in Istanbul. The project, developed through a joint venture between Viatrans – Meydanbey, will be in Quasar Istanbul complex, a new mixed-use development in the Sisli district that combines commercial, residential [...]

In the first two months of this year, Istanbul got more visitors than in the same period of time in the previous year. However, Antalya had a smaller number of tourists than in 2012.

In news from the II International Black Sea Tourism Forum in Yalta, Simferopol Serhat Fil has offered a cooperation in between local governments and private businesses in the Black Sea region. The Manager of the Turkish Airlines pointed to
“Go Crimea” as one of the regional projects that Turkish Airlines is engaging in with the Crimean Ministry of Resorts and Tourism.

Seven Turkish banks have agreed to provide the necessary funds to build Istanbul’s third bridge. İbrahim Çeçen, chairman of the IC İçtaş company (part of the winning consortium), announced that the banks will provide USD 2.4 billion over 10 years. The construction is slated to start in May according to the news.