Holiday bookings for Turkey’s touristic hot spots for July and August by European travelers have skyrocketed, industry representatives said, as resorts say they are ready to offer a safe and “controlled” vacation to travelers.
Kaan Kavaloğlu, a board member of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED) and Tourism Investors Association of Turkey (TTYD), told Anadolu Agency (AA) Monday that the sector is experiencing a new beginning as resorts complete preparations to open doors to post-lockdown travelers with new coronavirus preventative measures in place.
“We have to be able to guarantee a safe holiday opportunity to our guests, both domestic and international,” he said.
Kavaloğlu noted that the industry is expecting European tourists to make a comeback once the borders are opened. Kavaloğlu added the European Union’s initial plan of resuming tourism season within the bloc is not ideal for many of its citizens, who still prefer Turkey’s Mediterranean coasts, the resort city of Antalya in particular, as their favorite holiday destination.
“Our foreign guests did not cancel their bookings for July and August. In fact, we secured a significant number of reservations from the European market,” he added.
Each year, Antalya hosts more than 4 million German tourists, whose travel plans carry crucial importance for the recovery of Turkey’s tourism industry due to their high population and generous holiday rules.
Turkey allowed the reopening of hotels and other touristic spots and resumed domestic flights and intercity travel on June 1 and is set to open doors to foreign tourists as of mid-June, according to the tourism ministry.
