Turkish Airlines’ FAM Turkey Trip For Pakistani Travel Agents

[Pakistan, Tuesday 13th October’15]: Turkish Airlines’ Islamabad office organized a four day exclusive Familiarization [FAM] Trip to Istanbul for various travel agencies from Islamabad and Peshawar. Top officials from these travel agencies participated in the FAM trip along with Turkish Airlines General Manager Islamabad, Mr Yunus Mert and Marketing Representative Mr Adeel Shoaib Butt.

After touching down in Istanbul the participants were taken to breakfast where they were served Turkish delicacies. Subsequently they went to Gulluoglu Baklava Shop, one of the best in Turkey. Following they enjoyed some sightseeing at the old city where they also visited the Grand Bazar and the tour guide briefed them about the history of the location. The participants checked in at CVK Park Bosphorus, which is one of the best hotel properties in Istanbul and has a direct view of the sea. Post check-in they were given a detailed round of the hotel and were briefed by the hotel manager. The group was then taken out for dinner at Kurucesme, where they had seafood.

On the second day the participants visited various spots of the old city/Sultanahmet including Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Underground Cisterm where the tour guide briefed them on the rich Turkish history and culture. The participants also visited the Topkapi Palace and the Topkapi Museum which they thoroughly enjoyed. The group then had Turkish Kebab at Kosebasi Restaurant and later dinner at Ali Ocakbasi Restaurant.

Turkish Airlines also organized a workshop on Day 3 for all travel agencies to interact with Turkish travel management companies. Around 75 agencies were invited from around the world to participate in the workshop along with Islamabad’s agencies. Each agency had a separate meeting to discuss how they should collectively promote Turkey and Pakistan further. After the two hour session the group was taken to a private Bosphorus tour followed by dinner.

On Day 4 a visit of Turkish Airlines’ catering company Turkish Do&Co was also arranged. Upon arrival the participants were warmly greeted by the Turkish Do & Co staff and received a detailed presentation about the company. Following the presentation the participants were treated to high end delicious food which is offered to business class passengers onboard Turkish Airlines, including a rich selection of hors d’oeuvres served from a cart, followed by a soup service, a Turkish tradition. A choice of multiple entrees was served and the meal was completed with an assortment of fruit, cheese and sweets. The participants got a chance to visit the kitchen and saw how well the high quality food is prepared for Turkish Airlines passengers.

Next the participants were taken to the Turkish Airlines flying academy where they took part in a short training session, including emergency evacuation. They visited the cockpit model of the Air Bus 330. In the end the participants visited Ciragan Palace where a detailed tour of the palace was arranged for them and they were served with delicious dinner at the private Ottoman Room (Ciragan Palace).

Overall it was a very entertaining and successful tour for the travel agents and resulted in a strengthening of ties between themselves and Turkish Airlines.

About Turkish Airlines:

Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines is a 4-star airline today with a fleet of 277 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 274 destinations worldwide with 226 international and 48 domestic. According to Skytrax survey of 2014, Turkish Airlines was chosen “Europe’s Best Airline” for the fourth and “Best Airline in Southern Europe” for the sixth consecutive time. Having won in 2010 the world’s “Best Economy Catering Service” and in 2013 the world’s “Best Business Catering Service” awards, Turkish Airlines was this year awarded the world’s “Best Business Catering Service” and “Best Business Class Lounge Dining” prizes in the Skytrax survey. More information about Turkish Airlines can be found on www.turkishairlines.com.

About Star Alliance:

The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. The integration of Avianca Brasil is currently in progress. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries For additional information visit www.staralliance.com and/or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or LinkedIn.