The Gaza War is preventing tourists from scheduling trips to Turkey.
The creator of Hike n’ Sail Turkey, Alper Ertubey, said: “I had a lot of requests in September, and now they’re kind of quiet.” Several travelers have rescheduled their trips.
Travel plans to Turkey for the upcoming year have declined. According to a spokeswoman, new reservations for Road Scholar for 2024 have decreased “pretty close to flat.”
The vice president of G Adventures, Yves Marceau, explained: “It’s not that cancellations are increasing, it’s just that people aren’t making reservations.” He claims that tourists are making their travel plans elsewhere.
Kelly Torrens, vice president of product for Kensington Tours, stated that many tourists don’t feel comfortable in the area.
According to Alex Malcom, the founder of Jacada Travel, “some customers considered canceling” after the tour operator explained the circumstances to them, they felt more comfortable with the trip.
Turkey Gains Momentum as a Trending Travel Hotspot Despite Cancellations
According to the European Travel Commission, tourism in Turkey has been one of the fastest in Europe to recover from the pandemic.
According to the UN World Tourism Organization, the country received more than 50.2 million foreign visitors in 2022. This was comparable to the 51.2 million in 2019 before the pandemic.
Turkey is affected by the decline in global demand at an unfavorable time. Travel bookings are most popular from November to January. Tour operators will have to reduce their inventories in Turkey if bookings are weak in the future, says Marceau.
“Hopefully sales will come back in more in January and February for travel next fall,” said Kensington’s Torrens. “Guides could have very little work from the U.S. market for quite a period of time. Hopefully, other markets keep them moderately busy.
U.S. Travel Advisory for Turkey – Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
Exercise increased caution when visiting Turkey due to the elevated risks of terrorism and arbitrary detentions, particularly in certain areas
Do Not Travel To:
- Due to terrorism, exercise caution in Sirnak province, Hakkari province, and any location within six miles (10 kilometers) of the Syrian border.
Terrorist groups continue to plan possible attacks in Turkey. Attacks on tourist destinations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, local government buildings, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, parks, major sporting and cultural events, educational institutions, airports, and other public areas may occur without prior notice.