ISTANBUL 

Libyan tour operators and Turkish officials from Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea region convened on Monday to discuss strategies to boost tourism in the area. 

The event, organized by the Turkish conglomerate Karanfil Group, aimed to showcase the tourism potential of the Eastern Black Sea region. It brought together Libyan delegates and several regional leaders, including the mayors of Giresun and Trabzon, as well as the governor of Gumushane.

Key topics discussed included the proposed sister city protocol between Trabzon and Tripoli, and strategies for promoting Trabzon as a tourist destination in Libya.

Karanfil Group chairman Murtaza Karanfil highlighted a record surge in tourism last year, with 57 million tourists visiting Türkiye, and expressed optimism for another record in 2024, projecting tourism income to exceed $60 billion.

Karanfil emphasized Trabzon's growing appeal, noting a 38% increase in domestic and foreign travelers last year. "We aim to contribute to this growth by attracting more tourists from Libya," he added.