The London-based Turkish Culture & Tourism Office is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Directors Dr. Aysegul Gurgezoglu and Ali Selcuk Can, who have taken up their posts for what will be a new and dynamic phase in Turkish tourism.

Turkey continues to be one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations with 31.78 million people travelling to the country in 2012. It is also one of the fastest developing tourist destinations in the world making dynamism and energy a byword for its tourism sector. The arrival of Ali Selcuk Can and Dr. Aysegul Gurgezoglu heralds a new era for the London-based tourism team with lots of new and different activities in the pipeline. More news and developments will follow in the upcoming weeks.

Director Ali Selcuk Can on taking up his new appointment says “Ranking 6th in the world with respect to the number of international tourist arrivals according to the World Travel Organisation, Turkey continues to grow in tourist numbers. We want to continue this trend and encourage people to approach travel to Turkey from different angles; such as visiting Istanbul this autumn for its acclaimed arts biennial or to enjoying international golf in the south coast during the Turkish Open in November.”

Director Dr. Aysegul Gurgezoglu adds: “Turkey is still full of undiscovered gems – its rich history, culture, cuisine and landscapes make it a truly fascinating and unforgettable land. I am looking forward to developing our cooperation and tourism potential with the UK even further as I believe that there is still so much scope in what Brits can discover and enjoy in Turkey – despite the fact it is already one of the UK market’s most-popular holiday destinations. Turkey offers a great variety of travel experiences and we will be aiming to highlight that in the coming months.”

Dr. Aysegul Gurgezoglu, who has a Doctorate in Archaeology from the University of Oxford, was Deputy Director at London’s Turkish Culture & Tourism office 2009-2012, and Ali Selcuk Can has previously been an Internal Auditor for the Ministry of Culture & Tourism based in Turkey.