VOICES rounds up all the latest news on Turkey’s troubled tourism industry.

Jet subsidies for flights

Turkey is to offer jet fuel subsidies for flights to five of its tourist hot spots as part of its efforts to safeguard tourism revenue after a suicide bombing in Istanbul last week killed 10 German tourists, Hurriyet has reported.

Airlines will receive $6,000 per flight to Antalya, Alanya, Dalaman, Bodrum and İzmir during the start of the tourism season in April and May, Turkey’s tourism minister, Mahir Ünal, told Reuters.

Image: AA

Turkey’s vital tourism industry accounts for about 4.5 percent of the $800 billion economy.

“The only problem is with the Syrian border area,” Ünal said. “Istanbul is one of the safest places in the world… The tourist areas are safe… We have taken all the measures necessary,” he added.

Turkey offered similar fuel subsidies for flights from Russia last year, after a slump in the value of the ruble prompted consumers to hold off spending money on travel abroad.

Russians accounted for about 10 percent of foreigners arriving in Turkey in January through November last year making Russia the country’s second-biggest source country after Germany with 5.4 million travelers or 15.5 percent of arrivals.

In addition to the new fuel subsidy unveiled on Jan. 20, which could be extended beyond May, Turkey has tripled its security measures in tourist areas, according to Ünal.

Cruise ship operator quits Turkey
MSC Cruises has cancelled calls in Turkish ports amid security fears for its guests.

It has replaced stops in Istanbul and Izmir for MSC Magnifica with Athens and Mykonos until the end of the Mediterranean season in October.

A statement said the decision was taken ‘amid growing concerns by guests as a result of the recent tragic events in Istanbul’. MSC’s decision comes after Crystal Cruises also announced it was to suspend all calls to Turkish ports.

Celebrity Cruises announced last year it would not overnight in Istanbul in 2016 and around the same time Disney Cruise Line removed Greece and Turkey from its 12-night Mediterranean itinerary for this summer.

Turkey travel agents’ views

SEVERAL owners of tour agencies already complain about cancellations, because of impact of terrorism in the region.

Karen Fedorko Sefer, owner of Sea Song Tours, explains:

“Bookings were already slow for 2016 because of a combination of what’s going on in the region and the attacks in Paris last year, but now, I expect them to be at a standstill.

“While France is a familiar destination and may be more appealing for people to go to, Turkey is considered somewhat exotic so people aren’t going to immediately rush here.”

International agencies offering group trips to Turkey in the peak season (March-October) are also having difficulties, due to clients that still have time to change their minds about their trips and get a full refund.

“People might be waiting to see if they still want to go depending on what the situation in Turkey will be like over the next several weeks,” Michael Sadowski, spokesman of Intrepid Travel in Australia said.

Even if Turkey experiences what is called “a sensitive period”, Nick Doyle, terrorism expert and managing director of the security risk management practice at Kroll, thinks that the risk of traveling here is the same as any other destination:

“Terrorism is striking many destinations, and we can’t give into it by not traveling. I would go to Turkey tomorrow and allow my family to as well.”