ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE KARAELMAS TOURISTIC EXPRESS

Dear Members,

In a letter dated August 31, 2026, sent to our Association by the Western Black Sea Development Agency of the Republic of Turkey, it is stated that the Karaelmas Touristic Express will begin service as of October 2, 2026.

The Karaelmas Touristic Train will consist of a total of 7 cars—including 6 sleeping cars and 1 dining car—and will operate on the Ankara–Zonguldak and Zonguldak–Ankara routes with a capacity of 120 passengers.

The dates for the 2026 train tours are as follows:
· October 2–4, 2026
· October 16–18, 2026
· October 30–November 1, 2026
· November 13–15, 2026

The guidelines regarding travel agency applications are as follows:
· Travel agencies may submit requests for a minimum of 2 train cars (40 passengers); requests for a single train car will not be granted.
· Travel agencies applying for trains departing from Ankara must include at least one overnight stay in Zonguldak in their tour itineraries.
· Applications will be evaluated based on the order of submission, performance on previous trips, and available capacity.

Information regarding ticket and car assignments and other details can be found in Annex - 1.

We respectfully bring this to your attention.

Association of Turkish Travel Agencies 
TÜRSAB

Annex - 1: Announcement Text for the Karaelmas Touristic Express