Türkiye Offers International Producers More Than Locations — It Offers Stories, Heritage, Production Experience and Long-Term Screen Tourism Value

Türkiye is not only a country that offers impressive locations for international productions. It also offers powerful stories, thousands of years of cultural heritage, diverse landscapes, experienced local production infrastructure, and a unique potential to create long-term screen tourism value after a project is released.

Today, films, television series, documentaries and digital content are no longer just productions to be watched. They have become one of the most powerful windows through which countries, cities, cultures and destinations present themselves to the world.

Audiences are no longer only following a story. They are also becoming curious about the streets, cities, hotels, coastlines, historical sites and cultural atmosphere where that story takes place. The emotional connection created on screen is turning into a strong motivation that influences travel decisions.

This is why filming in Türkiye should not be seen only as a production opportunity. When planned strategically, the post-release impact of a production can turn into long-term value for destination awareness, tourism activity, cultural visibility and the local economy.

People no longer travel only to destinations they see in brochures. They also want to visit places they connect with through films, series, documentaries and digital platform content.

Türkiye’s Advantage in the New Era of Screen Tourism

Türkiye has a strong advantage in this new era.

The historic texture of Istanbul, the unique landscape of Cappadocia, the visual power of the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, the cultural depth of Southeastern Anatolia, faith routes, ancient cities, palaces, bazaars, villages, modern urban life and Anatolia’s thousands of years of storytelling heritage all make Türkiye a powerful filming destination for international productions.

However, Türkiye’s potential is not limited to “beautiful locations for filming.”

The real opportunity lies in transforming the connection created between a production filmed in Türkiye and global audiences into long-term tourism and destination value after the project is released.

Turkish dramas have already reached large audiences in many countries around the world. This success has created significant cultural curiosity and emotional interest in Türkiye. In the same way, international productions filmed in Türkiye can carry this interest to even wider audiences.

How Screen Tourism Creates Emotional Travel Motivation

Screen tourism is different from traditional tourism promotion. Travel motivation does not come only from the beauty of a place.

The viewer first connects with a story. Follows a character. Remembers a scene. Associates a landscape, a street, a hotel or a city with a specific emotion. Then wants to visit the place where that emotion was created.

For this reason, film and television locations are no longer only technical parts of a production process. When managed with the right strategy, they can become key elements of long-term destination brands.

This is exactly where Türkiye’s opportunity lies.

From Production Service to Long-Term Destination Value

When international productions film in Türkiye, this should not be seen only as a few weeks of production service. Every production creates a value chain that directly contributes to the local economy, hotels, transportation companies, equipment suppliers, guides, restaurants, artisans and the city brand.

More importantly, after the production is released, that destination can continue to gain visibility for years.

For production companies, broadcasters, creative agencies and digital platforms planning to film in Türkiye, the country is not only a location option. It is a strategic production destination offering stories, culture, production experience and global audience impact.

Three Key Areas to Develop Türkiye’s Screen Tourism Potential

To better develop this potential, three important areas stand out.

• First, Türkiye’s filming locations should be approached not only from a production perspective, but also from a tourism and destination branding perspective.
• Second, the processes that make it easier for international productions to film in Türkiye — including permits, incentives, local coordination and professional production services — should become more visible.
• Third, the post-release impact of productions filmed in Türkiye should be transformed into concrete screen tourism value together with hotels, travel agencies, municipalities, cultural institutions, destination management companies and tourism brands.

The Turkish Film Commission’s Vision

At the Turkish Film Commission, our vision is not only to promote Türkiye as a reliable production hub for international projects. It is also to build a more strategic bridge between film, television, digital content, tourism and cultural heritage.

Türkiye’s real strength is not only in its beautiful locations. Behind these locations are thousands of years of stories, cultural layers, faith routes, historical heritage, strong human texture and unique narratives that can attract global interest.

For this reason, filming in Türkiye is not only a production choice. It is also an opportunity to build a lasting connection with global audiences.

Screen tourism is not just a new promotional concept for Türkiye. It is a strategic growth area that brings together film, tourism and the creative economy.

The Path Forward for Türkiye

The path forward for Türkiye is clear:

To transform the cultural interest created by productions filmed in Türkiye, Turkish dramas, documentaries and international projects into sustainable tourism value.

Because audiences no longer want only to watch a story.

They want to visit the place where that story happened, experience its atmosphere and touch the world they saw on screen in real life.

Türkiye can become one of the strongest screen tourism destinations of this new era.

But this potential must be approached not only as a filming service, but as a long-term destination, culture and economic strategy.