Newsletters
Türkiye has announced a new incentive program aimed at turning its globally popular television dramas into a central tool of tourism promotion, offering financial support of up to $100,000 per episode to qualifying productions that help showcase the country internationally.
Speaking at a program titled Support for Turkish TV Series Contributing to Global Tourism Promotion held at the Ataturk Cultural Center in Istanbul, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the initiative will be implemented immediately through cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA).
The new scheme positions television dramas as a key pillar of Türkiye’s contemporary promotion strategy, reflecting the global reach Turkish series have built over the past decade. According to Ersoy, Turkish productions now reach audiences in roughly 170 countries and touch nearly one billion viewers worldwide, helping raise curiosity about the country and encouraging travel interest.
He said Türkiye has grown into one of the world’s three largest television exporters in terms of sales and distribution power, with export revenues surpassing $1 billion. The minister described Turkish series as functioning almost like “the world’s largest Turkish-language course,” noting that international audiences increasingly adopt Turkish words, names and cultural references after watching the shows.
Under the program, series broadcast in Türkiye that meet specific criteria will receive support of up to $100,000 per domestic episode, paid in Turkish lira equivalent. Since Turkish dramas are typically exported abroad in shorter formats, this translates into a maximum of approximately $33,000 for each internationally distributed episode.
Eligibility will depend on several measurable indicators, including the production’s contribution to promoting Türkiye and the Turkish language, the number of countries where the series is sold, audience ratings, export value and whether target markets align with Türkiye’s tourism priorities.
Officials emphasized that the support will apply only to productions meeting defined promotional standards and will be administered jointly by the Cinema General Directorate and TGA.
A central element of the initiative introduces a “promotional film purchasing model,” designed to integrate tourism messaging directly into storytelling through product placement techniques. Historical landmarks, natural landscapes, gastronomy and archaeological heritage are expected to appear more visibly within narratives.
Within this framework, authorities plan to purchase 30-second promotional films and short-form digital videos, commonly known as reels, created using scenes or concepts developed inside supported productions. These materials will then be used for international tourism promotion campaigns.
Ersoy said digital content will be expected to adopt original storytelling approaches that present different tourism experiences through creative narratives rather than traditional advertising formats. Productions featuring leading actors in promotional materials will receive priority consideration.
Alongside financial incentives, the ministry plans to speed up bureaucratic procedures related to filming permits and allow free allocation of ministry-controlled historical and cultural locations for eligible projects. Exporting production companies that have previously received state incentives will be able to apply directly to TGA for participation.
The minister added that similar support mechanisms are also being prepared for cinema films representing Türkiye at major international festivals, with details to be announced later.
Ersoy said the broader objective is to transform internationally recognized actors into tourism ambassadors through the visibility created by television dramas. Future productions are expected to highlight a wide range of tourism themes, including coastal destinations, historical heritage, gastronomy, health tourism, nature experiences and winter tourism.
By embedding these elements into widely watched narratives, authorities aim to expand global awareness of Türkiye’s destination diversity and strengthen the country’s tourism brand through storytelling rather than conventional promotion.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
4 min read
