Known as a contemporary art event of the biennial is organized every two years and mostly take the name from host city. The name of biennial used firstly in Venice and it was organized first time in Venice as Venice Biennial. Biennials accessed to many cities of the world and has provided economic contributions except of the social and cultural contributions for the city. International Istanbul Biennial that organized since 1987 in Turkey is not known and realized enough in terms of contribution and potential in Turkey. Especially paying attention to provided and providing contribution of biennials are necessary in tourism field. In the research biennials were examined on the field of event tourism as contemporary art events. Also in this research tourism were associated and classified with biennials in the framework of literature. Making assessment about contemporary art events in tourism is made with example of İnternational İstanbul Biennials in Turkey. Some examples and suggestions were tried to give for understanding potential of contemporary art events in tourism and relationship between biennials and tourism. In addition, information is given about biennials that are at international level. The main purpose of the research is that paying attention to benefits which is provided and possible from İnternational Istanbul Biennial and emphasized to importance of event tourism in Turkey.

Key Words: Contemporary Art Events, Event Tourism, Biennial, International Istanbul Biennial.