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Turkey's tourism industry takes a hit amid security concerns

Joanna Gill

 

 

The streets of Istanbul, normally full of tourists, have seen a dramatic drop in foreign visitors.

 

Turkey’s tourism industry has taken a hit after a failed coup and a string of deadly terrorist attacks in 2016.

 

In the latest – a massacre of mainly foreign tourists at an Istanbul night club on New Year’s Eve – 39 people were killed. It was followed days later by a car bombing outside the main courthouse in Izmir, Turkey’s third largest city.

 

The continued security threats are a big concern for the country where tourism makes up five percent of GDP and represents around eight percent of the workforce.

 

“It’s the easiest way to hurt the economy,” explained Yasemin Pirinçcioğlu, the head of travel agency VIP Event. “This is not war like it used to be, it’s a different war, it’s an the cities war type of thing, so this is why they hit tourism first,” she added

 

In 2016 visitor numbers slumped by almost 30 per cent.

 

Not everyone is put off by security concerns. One tourist from Ukraine told a reporter that there is unrest in the world, noting that people say the same about her city in Ukraine being close to the front line, but she decided to visit Turkey anyway.

 

However, many more are staying away. The figures look stark for 2017. Even before the night club shooting on New Year’s Eve, number of foreign visitors was expected to fall by a further 22 percent.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2017-01-07

 

[spidermike007]

A duh. Who on earth wants to visit a land where there is a despot leader doing everything he can to crush dissent, and purge the army? All the while there are terror groups bombing clubs, and other venues, in protest of the government policies. One would have to be an adventure traveler at best, and a suicidal tourist at worst, to visit Turkey at this point in time. 

[SaintLouisBlues]

Just now, spidermike007 said:

A duh. Who on earth wants to visit a land where there is a despot leader doing everything he can to crush dissent, and purge the army? All the while there are terror groups bombing clubs, and other venues, in protest of the government policies. One would have to be an adventure traveler at best, and a suicidal tourist at worst, to visit Turkey at this point in time. 

Silly me. Until I got to "Turkey" I was thinking ...

[Morch]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

A duh. Who on earth wants to visit a land where there is a despot leader doing everything he can to crush dissent, and purge the army? All the while there are terror groups bombing clubs, and other venues, in protest of the government policies. One would have to be an adventure traveler at best, and a suicidal tourist at worst, to visit Turkey at this point in time. 

 

As far as I'm aware, Turkey was one of the top 10 tourist destinations not too long ago. About double incoming tourists figures compared with Thailand, at the time. Even with the last two year's slump it's still a a player on the tourism market. 

 

[JemJem]

As an anti-Erdogan Turk, my advice is simple : Don't go to Turkey until Erdogan and the Islamist government is toppled.

[Opl]

Erdogan offers citizenship to Syrian and Iraqi refugees

"President Erdogan says some refugees who pass screenings will be granted nationality to "make use" of their skills. The country's political opposition saw the plan as a scheme to widen Erdogan's electoral basis at a time when he is pushing for constitutional reform to strengthen his powers."

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/01/erdogan-offers-citizenship-syrian-iraqi-refugees-170106195134961.html

 

[Morch]

18 hours ago, JemJem said:

As an anti-Erdogan Turk, my advice is simple : Don't go to Turkey until Erdogan and the Islamist government is toppled.

 

Thailand had a coup, and while not suggesting the current government is anything like Erdogan, tourist numbers ultimately did not go down. Many of the tourists visiting Turkey arrive from countries which do not proclaim a stellar freedoms &human rights record. Doubt that for then, Turkey's domestic politics play much of role in picking it as a holiday destination. Security issues, yes.

[alwaysrainsinUK]

Surprised Turkey has any tourist business at all LOL........... who in their right mind would set foot near it ! 

[Scott]

Off-topic posts and replies removed.

 

[Morch]

21 hours ago, alwaysrainsinUK said:

Surprised Turkey has any tourist business at all LOL........... who in their right mind would set foot near it ! 

 

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/turkey/tourist-arrivals