Mohamed Salah’s Impact on Trabzonspor and Tourism

Mohamed Salah’s move to Trabzonspor is already being felt far beyond the pitch.

Erkut Çelebi, head of the Trabzon Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says the Egyptian star’s arrival has triggered a surge in tourism interest in the Black Sea city, stretching well past Salah’s homeland and across North Africa.

Speaking to local outlet 61saat, Çelebi outlined how the transfer has changed the mood in Trabzon’s tourism sector almost overnight. Hotels that usually rely on a brief three- or four‑month high season are now bracing for demand that could spread across the calendar, as fans and visitors look to follow Salah to his new home.

The city’s authorities, sensing an opportunity they rarely get, are already working on plans to turn that spike in curiosity into sustained, year‑round tourism. The goal is simple: use the global pull of Salah’s name to keep rooms filled long after the traditional summer rush fades.

Trabzonspor confirmed the signing of Mohamed Salah last Thursday, securing the former Liverpool forward on a free transfer. The deal runs for two seasons after his contract at Anfield expired at the end of last campaign — and in Trabzon, they are discovering his impact will not be limited to 90 minutes on matchdays.