Turkish Airlines, voted Europe's Best according to Skytrax, launched its latest route between Durban and Istanbul at King Shaka International airport yesterday. The airline, that 10 years ago had only 10 destinations on its radar in Africa, today flies to 44 destinations on the continent, with Durban being the most recent addition.A mandatory water salute was conducted yesterday to welcome the airline's A330-300 in Durban for the first time. It will fly out of the city four times a week, the inaugural flight being yesterday.With Durban increasingly becoming a hotspot for international travellers, the airline was prompted to launch the route to enable more foreigners to visit the city."Currently, the Johannesburg-Istanbul route will branch out into two routes - Durban and Maputo - with plans to depart daily from Durban in the near future," said Muhammed Medhi Tunc, the airline's Johannesburg general manager. Tunc said tourism statistics had propelled Turkish Airlines to include Durban as a destination.eThekwini municipality last year saw a 12.8% increase in tourism compared to 2013."The statistics indicate that 7.4 million visitors travelled to the destination, with a total direct spend of R19.2-million, resulting from tourism," said Tunc.Ilker Ayci, the airline's board chairman, said: "Turkish Airlines has committed itself to enhancing the links between Turkey and South Africa by providing another route to this beautiful country."Ayci said travel between the two countries was hassle-free when it came to visa applications, as South Africans could download a free e-visa from the Turkish government website.He said the airline aimed to fly to more than 50 African destinations by 2017.Mike Mabuyakhulu, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for economic development, tourism and environmental affairs, said the province had largely relied on "indirect connectivity to access international markets".He said Turkish Airlines' foray into Durban would act as a "catalyst for advancing the province's gateway status and economic integration with global markets"...