Turkish TV series lead to boom in high-income South American tourists
Turkish TV series have had an impact on the high-income earners and high spenders from South America, as Turkey has seen a double-digit increase in the number of tourists coming from countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia
Aired around the world, Turkish TV series have led to a boom in South American tourists visiting Turkey. The number of tourists coming from South America, especially from Argentina and Brazil, with mainly high spending levels, soared by 70 percent to 165,000 in the first eight months of the year.
According to the Turkish Hoteliers’ Association (TÜROB), the association’s authorities have prepared a report on the South American market as a result of their contacts at the FIT International Tourism Fair of Latin America, one of the most important tourism events in South America.
The report reveals that Turkish TV series continue to have a positive impact on the South American market, in Argentina and Brazil in particular, from where Turkey welcomes nearly 250,000 tourists a year.
TÜROB issued a statement on the issue, saying that the image of Turkey has grown in South America thanks to the Turkish TV series broadcast in the region over the last five years.
More than 100 Turkish TV series are exported to more than 150 countries and rank second, right after the U.S., with over $350 million in annual revenue and more than 500 million viewers worldwide.
Bayındır emphasized that, although South America is a distant market, it has a lot of potential, adding that double-digit rises in the number of South American tourists are expected next year.
Underlining that Turkish TV series that are broadcast in South American countries have made a significant contribution to the promotion of Turkey, he stated that these series have started to be broadcast in Argentina and Brazil in recent years and attracted vast prime time audiences. “With the impact of this movement, over 1,000 newborns born in South American countries have been given Turkish names like Ömer, Elif and Onur,” he added.
“Given that series actors and actresses have a serious fan base in the countries where the series are broadcast and that magazines are followed by large masses in Latin American countries, we believe that the use of these actors and actresses would be very useful and effective in the promotion of Turkey,” Bayındır concluded