Political instability may be shock to tourism in Turkey

The growing number of terrorist attacks and their impact on tourist mobility, the political uncertainty in Turkey and the reduction in the number of tourists from Russia have had a negative impact on the Turkish tourism industry, the local newspaper Cumhuriyet reports.

Hotels with an average of at least 500 staff are beginning to lay off employees. In June alone revenues to the number of rooms in Antalya fell 16.8%, RIA Novosti reports.

The dramatic fall in the east and southeast of the country, in the regions, which became the center of cultural tourism, is due to the threat from Islamic State (ISIS).

In addition to the terrorist attack in Suruc, the air operations against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) in Turkey can have unpredictable consequences for tourism.

"Until now, there was no cancellation. But with the escalation of violence such a problem can arise," the president of the Federation of Hoteliers of Turkey, Osman Ayyk, said.

"Groups of tourists do not stop to discuss terror among themselves. If the attacks continue, we will have difficulties,’’ Uysal believes.

After the terrorist attack in Turkey, vacationing Russians were advised to be careful. Because of the terrorist attack in the city of Suruç in the Turkish province of Sanliurfa, the Federal Tourism Agency has recommended that vacationing  compatriots in Turkey to stay in tourist areas and not to travel long distances.

"In such a situation the optimal behavior for tourists who are already in the country is to remain in the resort areas. They are always heavily guarded, especially after the terrible events such as the terrorist attacks. Of course, as far as it is possible, it is better not to leave the tourist areas,’’ the spokeswoman of the Russian Ministry for Tourism, Irina Schegolkova, said.

She has noted that first of all this advice is addressed to lovers of independent travel, who rent a car and go inland. "Of course, everyone is free to choose where to go and how to relax, but if you think about your own safety, it is better not to get out beyond the resort areas," she advised, NSN reports.

At the same time, more than 80% of the citizens of Germany are abandoning spending their summer holidays in Turkey, because of Ankara's possible military confrontation with the ISIS terrorist group and the Kurds, the newspaper ‘BILD am SONNTAG’ reported today, citing a survey commissioned by the Institute of Public Opinion, Emnid.

Earlier, the German Foreign Ministry warned that the threat of terrorist attacks in public places in Turkey has grown, there is information about possible terrorist attacks in the subway and bus stops in Istanbul.

According to a survey presented by BILD am SONNTAG, 81% of Germans rule out a vacation in Turkey in the coming months, 19% are still willing to make the trip. Only 31% of citizens of Germany did not pay attention to the level of terrorist threat in places of recreation, for 68% this issue is important when choosing a resort.