Not only rising prices are forcing Turkish tourism to sound the alarm. The Ukrainian-Russian crisis is also forcing the tourist authorities of Antalya and other resorts to “ring the bell”. It was under this headline that the local media published a speech by CHP Deputy Antalya Chetin Osman Budak, who in his report on the 2021 tourist season and current problems in the field of tourism also touched upon this issue.
“Tensions between Russia and Ukraine, one of the three countries sending the most tourists to Turkey in 2021, are jeopardizing the 2022 tourist season. And this is in addition to other risks that such a conflict poses for Turkey, “the expert said.
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It will be recalled that before the “invasion”, which never took place, the opposition had already stated that Erdogan was “at a difficult crossroads” again. Thus, the Turkish opposition newspaper Ahval noted that Turkey, and tourism and tourists, respectively, may be held hostage to politics – any attempt by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stand up for his “economic and personal interests in Ukraine” will lead to the most powerful Russian Turkey market may close again and for a long time. The precedent was already in 2015, when the Turks shot down a Russian Su-24 plane in Syria: Russian tourism to Turkey was considered dangerous and stopped from November 15 to August 16, that is, during the peak tourist season.
At the same time, the topic of the “Russian attack” was being fanned, and Turkey quickly offered to play a mediating role between the two countries. “Initially, Moscow rejected Turkey’s offer. However, in January, Erdogan reiterated his call for mediation and invited Russian and Ukrainian leaders to Turkey. The Kremlin has said that the Russian president will visit Turkey at the invitation of Erdogan, but a date has not yet been set, “the analyst said. He goes on to say that any “prospect of a clash between Russia and Ukraine” creates “another possible front for a clash between Moscow and Ankara.”
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An analyst from Antalya adds that in 2021, 4 million 694 thousand tourists came from Russia, which sent the most visitors to Turkey, and 2 million 60 thousand tourists came from Ukraine. “Inbound tourists from these two countries make up 27% of the total number of foreign visits. “Any transition of the conflict to the” hot “phase could lead to the fact that Turkey will face a much worse crisis than in 2016,” Yavuz said.
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