Success Stories

Christie Digital European Waterways Clearwater Festival Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) Club ABC Tours Fare Buzz Odyssey Resorts International Turkish National Tourist Office United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)

Shining the Spotlight on Turkey
For over four years, the PR program conducted by HAPR for the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office played a key role in promoting this culturally rich, historic land, moving Turkey up from what was basically a destination undiscovered by Americans to its current ranking among the top foreign vacation destinations.

Through intensive one-on-one media pitching, HAPR interested influential travel writers and editors in Turkey, and convinced them to report about the myriad attractions that the country had to offer the seasoned traveler. Along with ongoing group and individual press trips organized by the agency and a continuous stream of press releases to the consumer and trade press, the PR campaign yielded numerous feature articles in major consumer travel publications portraying Turkey as an exotic yet very friendly destination brimming with cultural treasures, diverse recreational opportunities and culinary delights.

The continual and prominent editorial exposure created a surge of interest in Turkey on the part of seasoned travelers and travel agents, and motivated many more tour operators to feature Turkey in their programs. And when an unforeseen natural disaster occurred in one of the country’s regions, the relationships we had established with the media were instrumental in our getting timely, accurate and reassuring information to the trade and consumers, thereby, minimizing the negative impact of the event.