Mohamed Salah Effect Puts Türkiye’s Trabzon on Egypt’s Tourism Map, Opens New Business Opportunities

Türkiye seeks to turn the Egyptian football star’s growing popularity in Trabzon into lasting tourism and economic partnerships, as a high-level delegation visits Cairo for business meetings and a promotional event attracting around 1,000 guests.

The growing popularity of Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah in Türkiye is opening new doors for tourism and business cooperation between Egypt and the Turkish city of Trabzon, as Ankara seeks to capitalize on the enthusiasm surrounding his move to Trabzonspor to attract more Egyptian visitors and strengthen bilateral economic ties.

A high-level delegation from Trabzon recently visited Cairo to promote the city's tourism, commercial and cultural potential and explore opportunities for cooperation with Egyptian partners. The visit included business-to-business (B2B) meetings bringing together representatives of Turkish hotels, travel agencies and tourism companies with Egyptian tour operators, investors and industry professionals.

The meetings focused particularly on developing tourism exchanges, establishing business partnerships and introducing Trabzon as a destination for Egyptian travelers.

The visit was followed by "Trabzon Day", hosted by the Turkish Embassy in Cairo, in an initiative combining tourism promotion with a celebration of the city's growing connection with Egypt through Salah.

The event, attended by around 1,000 guests, brought together Egyptian content creators, journalists and businesspeople, alongside Maher Anwar Shita, mayor of Nagrig, Salah's hometown.

It marked the first time the Turkish Embassy had organized a reception dedicated specifically to promoting an individual Turkish city in Egypt, reflecting the growing interest in Trabzon following the Egyptian player's arrival.

From Football Popularity to Tourism Opportunities

Speaking at the event, Turkish Ambassador to Egypt Salih Mutlu Şen described Trabzon as a unique city with considerable tourism, commercial and industrial potential, highlighting its natural landscapes, cultural heritage and sporting traditions.

He noted that Trabzon has become particularly close to Egyptian hearts since Salah joined Trabzonspor, creating a special emotional connection between the city and Egypt.

"With its greenery, mountains, forests, sea, distinctive cuisine and historical monuments, Trabzon is an exceptional tourist destination for our Egyptian and Arab brothers," the ambassador said.

Şen also highlighted the city's strong sporting identity, recalling Trabzonspor's historic achievement in the 1970s when it won the Turkish league title, challenging the dominance of Istanbul's three major football clubs.

The ambassador stressed that Türkiye hopes to translate the growing popularity of Trabzon among Egyptians into sustainable tourism flows.

"Our goal in the coming period is to launch regular direct flights from Egypt to our beautiful city of Trabzon, rather than relying solely on charter flights, capitalizing on the affection, interest and attraction generated by Mohamed Salah," he said.

The proposed direct connections would make travel easier for Egyptian tourists and support the development of a more consistent tourism market between the two countries.

The impact of Salah's move has already become visible in visitor numbers. According to data from Trabzon's Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, the number of Egyptian tourists who stayed at least one night in the city reached 1,788 in August 2026, compared with 1,151 in the same month a year earlier, representing a 55 per cent increase.

Interest has also extended beyond football. Videos showing Salah tasting local dishes have attracted attention to Trabzon's traditional cuisine, introducing Egyptian audiences to another dimension of the city's cultural identity.

Trabzon Welcomes Egyptian Visitors

Trabzon Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç expressed his pleasure at visiting Cairo, emphasizing the importance of strengthening relations between Türkiye and Egypt, particularly in tourism and trade.

He noted that Salah's arrival at Trabzonspor had contributed to increasing interest in the city and expressed hope that this momentum would translate into more Egyptian visitors.

Genç said the city had already witnessed a significant Egyptian presence since the footballer's transfer, adding that local officials recognized the move as an important step towards strengthening relations between the two countries.

He invited Egyptians to visit Trabzon, discover its natural and cultural attractions and experience its hospitality, assuring them that the city warmly welcomes Egyptian visitors.

The mayor also highlighted the economic dimension of the visit, explaining that the Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality had led B2B discussions in Cairo to promote the city's tourism potential and commercial and cultural assets internationally.

In a statement following the meetings, Genç said the delegation had held important discussions aimed at developing trade relations with Egypt and creating new business opportunities, as part of wider efforts to strengthen Trabzon's economic and commercial ties with international markets.

Business Meetings Seek to Expand Tourism and Trade Cooperation

The delegation included Trabzon Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç, Deputy Governor Ali Yılmaz, Chairman of the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Erkut Çelebi, Chairman of the Eastern Black Sea Regional Representation Council of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) Mehmet Ali Tunay, and Trabzonspor Vice President Derviş Köz.

The visit brought together representatives of the city's local government, business community, tourism sector and sports institutions, reflecting an integrated approach to promoting Trabzon in the Egyptian market.

Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Erkut Çelebi explained that the chamber works to bring together representatives of trade, agriculture, industry and other economic sectors, while organizing meetings that enable businesspeople to explore cooperation and partnership opportunities.

He noted that the Cairo meetings placed particular emphasis on tourism, stressing the importance of direct communication between companies and tourism institutions in both countries to develop commercial and investment relations.

Meanwhile, Mehmet Ali Tunay described the B2B meetings as among the busiest and most productive gatherings held in recent years.

The meetings brought together representatives of travel agencies, tourism companies and hotels from Trabzon with their Egyptian counterparts to discuss cooperation opportunities and ways to increase tourism exchanges.

Tunay also announced that TÜRSAB plans to host approximately 25 Egyptian tourism companies in Trabzon from December 1 to 6, as part of efforts to strengthen professional connections and familiarize Egyptian tour operators with the city's tourism offerings.

Such familiarization visits are expected to help Egyptian companies develop tourism programs and packages for Trabzon, while allowing Turkish hospitality and travel businesses to establish direct partnerships with the Egyptian market.

A City of Nature, Culture and Gastronomy

Trabzon's appeal extends well beyond its growing football connection with Egypt. Located on Türkiye's northeastern Black Sea coast, the city combines mountainous landscapes, forests, coastal attractions and a rich cultural heritage.

Its traditional cuisine is another important component of its tourism identity, a feature that received particular attention during Trabzon Day in Cairo.

The program included a promotional film showcasing the city's major tourist attractions and cultural potential, followed by a performance of the traditional Horon folk dance, one of the most recognizable elements of Trabzon's cultural heritage.

A culinary presentation also introduced guests to the region's traditional dishes, particularly Kuymak, a popular Black Sea specialty sometimes referred to as the "Gold of Trabzon" because of its golden color and rich, creamy texture.

Chefs demonstrated how the dish is prepared, offering guests an opportunity to discover the region's culinary traditions.

Football remained a central theme throughout the evening. Organizers screened footage documenting Salah's arrival in Trabzon and his reception by enthusiastic supporters, while a draw offered guests the chance to win a Trabzonspor shirt bearing his name.

A particularly distinctive moment came when a robot wearing a Mohamed Salah shirt appeared on stage, dancing and singing to a song dedicated to the Egyptian star.

The presence of Maher Anwar Shita, mayor of Nagrig, also added a symbolic dimension to the event, bringing together representatives of the Egyptian town where Salah grew up and the Turkish city that has recently become associated with his football career.

Building on a New Connection

The Trabzon delegation's visit reflects an effort to turn the popularity generated by a major sporting transfer into a broader and more sustainable relationship between Egyptian travelers and the Turkish destination.

While Salah has helped introduce Trabzon to a wider Egyptian audience, the city's authorities and business representatives are seeking to build on that attention through direct tourism links, commercial partnerships and closer cooperation between travel companies.

The combination of B2B meetings, plans to host Egyptian tourism companies in Trabzon and the ambition to establish regular direct flights from Egypt suggests that the initiative extends beyond a short-term promotional campaign.

For Trabzon, the Egyptian market offers an opportunity to expand its international visitor base and develop new business relationships. For Egyptian tourism companies, closer cooperation could provide access to a destination combining natural attractions, cultural experiences, gastronomy and a growing sporting connection with Egyptian audiences.

Ultimately, the initiative illustrates how the influence of a prominent athlete can extend beyond the football pitch, creating new opportunities for cultural exchange, tourism promotion and economic cooperation between two countries.