Turkey Tourism 2017 – Great News! Holidaymakers returning.
Recent Turkey tourism statistics show an 18% increase in foreign arrivals during April 2017. Hotel occupancy levels were also up almost 10% on last year, to 61.2% according to statistics from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This is great news for all those involved in tourism in Turkey, and hopefully the start of a U-turn in luck for a country where the tourist industry has been struggling for almost 2 years.
Up until 2015, Turkey attracted over 42 million tourists per year and was ahead of the UK as sixth most visited country in the world. A failed coup, terrorist attacks and the downing of a Russian jet caused an unprecedented drop in tourist numbers – with added blows from misleading media reports and scaremongering.
In 2017, as the country now tries to recover and re-brand itself again, it’s refreshing to read positive articles once more, painting Turkey in the manner it deserves – as the same safe, affordable, sun-drenched destination it has always been. This comes at a time when a rise in tourist numbers is crucial for Turkey. Many livelihoods and businesses are on the line if tourist numbers don’t pick up this year. These positive reports will hopefully go a long way to boost confidence and reassure foreigners that Turkey is as safe as anywhere else in the world, especially now, given the horrific terrorist attacks in Manchester and London recently.
LET’S STAY POSITIVE! HERE’S A FEW SNIPPETS FROM PRO-TURKEY REPORTS TO HELP BRIGHTEN UP THE DAY.
Bloomberg’s article, “Tourists are finally returning to Turkey” (May 30th 2017)
Bloomberg’s article not only noted the surge in tourist numbers but also quoted a respected Economist as believing, “tourist revenue may jump more than expected this year if the trend continues”. Turkey relies heavily on the foreign exchange revenue generated by foreign visitors. The money going a long way to bridge the country’s current account deficit, a figure predicted to reach 4.7% according to Bloomberg.
Daily Sabah, “Tourist arrivals to Turkey on rise for first time in 20 months” (May 30th 2017)
Turkish paper the Daily Sabah ran a similar report noting the significant rise in tourist numbers as the summer season started. They also suggest that the number of Russian arrivals was up a whopping 485.7% on last year. Again, fabulous news proving that the Russians are returning this summer so all those hotels and resorts that were popular with the Russian trade, will hopefully once again see rooms fully booked.
USA Today, “10 insanely affordable summer destinations for 2017” (May 25th 2017)
USA Today tip Istanbul as a great value holiday destination this summer, the city featuring at number 5 on their top 10 worldwide countdown. They believe, “Warm weather and cultural excitement make this coastal city a great international destination for your summer vacation”. That, due to the countries past troubles, Turkey is now, “unusually affordable”.
Trivago “Top 10 Trending Destinations” (May 17th 2017)
As part of the popular travel site’s annual research, Trivago lists our very own Turkish harbour town of Fethiye as number three on their most booked and desired destinations. Coming in behind Cuba’s Varadero, with Reykjavik in first place, it’s a great achievement for the town. Popular resorts in Spain, Croatia and Mexico lie further down the list. The results were compiled using price data from Trivago’s worldwide platforms over the past two years and are based on destinations that have seen the greatest increase in popularity. Well done Fethiye!
The Telegraph, “Turquoise Coast Travel Guide” (April 10th 2017)
Another great article describing Turkey’s wonderful Turquoise Coast appeared in the Telegraph. A lengthy piece written by the papers Travel Expert, Terry Richardson, suggests places to visit, hidden gems and hideaways right along this stretch of coastline. He says of the Fethiye area, “the topography of the coast ensures that even the bigger resorts such as Fethiye and Kas are little more than villages. Yet resorts they are, liberally sprinkled with bars, restaurants, shops, travel agencies”. He suggests that if a resort is not what you’re after, “head to one of the smaller, less-developed hidaways on this beautiful and rocky coast.”
Have you read any other pro-Turkey reports recently? Do let us know and comment below – it’s always good to share positive reports.
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