Turkey Eases Lockdown to Save Tourism Sector
Turkey enhances the health and safety protocols as lockdown eases after three weeks. The surge in COVID-19 cases previously halted flights and accommodation bookings for the upcoming holidays, especially from Russian tourists who are consistent top visitors of Turkey from the previous years.
Last April, COVID-19 local cases in Turkey reached 60,000. The government imposed travel warnings and stringent health and safety protocols which hit the tourism industry for the nth time. Several flights, accommodation, and activities got canceled.
Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister shared his thoughts about the recovery and development of tourism in Turkey. During the G20 Ministerial Meeting, he highlights the participation of hoteliers and entrepreneurs in the Safe Tourism Certificate. The program aims to secure the safety of travelers in tourist facilities. It has been the standard criteria for health and hygiene measures since June 2020.
Turkish Tourism Minister hopes to reduce the COVID cases below 5,000 per day and maintain the status of ease lockdown for a long time. They expect 30 million foreign nationals to visit Turkey, an opportunity to cope up with the lost revenue from 2020.
Based on the previous year's statistics, tourism income plunged 40 percent from the record-breaking tally in 2019. Most travelers came from Russia, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, and the Netherlands. The tourism sector expects more visitors in the summer season when Turkish borders open on June 1st.
The pandemic caused a plunge in accommodation and tourist rates in the country, and travelers can spoil themselves with excellent food and extraordinary vacation at an affordable rate. Lira goes down by 60% due to the prolonged currency crisis against the dollar. Luxury hotels offer reasonable and discounted rates, which foreigners take advantage of for a rewarding vacation. While locals need to stay home with no access to alcoholic beverages, foreign travelers get exempted from the lockdown restriction and can drink freely within the hotel's premises. Foreigners can also avail of boat cruises, mountain hikes, and hot-air balloon rides to resuscitate the travel industry of Turkey.