ISTANBUL
Transit passengers stopping over at Turkey's Ataturk Airport in Istanbul now have a chance to tour Istanbul for free.
Turkish Airlines is organizing tours for international transfer passengers who are continuing to a foreign destination and have to wait at the airport for at least six hours.
Called TourIstanbul, the project also serves to promote Turkey’s largest city, which constitutes the country's economic, cultural and historical heart.
Since 2009, passengers from different parts of the world have had a chance for a short and quick tour of the historic city which lies in the European part of Eurasia.
Last year, 16,000 passengers took advantage of the opportunity and visited numerous places across Istanbul, including the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern.
"Sometimes passengers change their flight times so they can attend our free tours; and they enjoy the city instead of wasting their time at the airport," Handan Inci, a marketing expert at Turkish Airlines, told the Anadolu Agency.
“TourIstanbul starts with a breakfast at one of the city's spectacular restaurants and is followed by a city tour with a professional tour guide,” explained Burak Saner, another marketing expert.
Tours are available everyday between 09.00-15.00, 09.00-18.00 and 12.00-18.00.
For more information, passengers can contact touristanbul@thy.com.
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