Articles tagged “turkey”

Turkey until recently was hailed as one of Europe’s most attractive travel destinations. But rising geopolitical tensions and souring relations between Washington and Ankara are now threatening the fragile sector’s growth and potential.

It's not all bad news for European tourist arrivals, but it could be better. However, look to the Balkans for some robust growth fueled by arrivals from China and Russia.

It was only a couple of years ago that the Turkish tourism industry was on its knees. How quickly things can change.

Travelers love nothing more than a good deal, and that's exactly what much of Turkey is offering right now. A cooling economy has travelers striking while the iron is hot.

Spain's popularity among UK tourists has not dwindled. Thomas Cook will be hoping demand to higher-margin destinations such as Turkey continues to grow or else it faces an expensive summer.

Things can change very quickly in travel. Geopolitics plays a big part in deciding a destination’s popularity. With Spain undergoing its own problems, and fewer terrorist incidents taking place in North Africa and the Middle East, the tourist spread is starting to rebalance itself.

Tour operators have longed for Turkey and, to a lesser extent, Egypt and Tunisia to return to their previous popularity. All of these destinations offer better value to consumers than Spain, which is at close-to-full capacity and more expensive. Their return is also good news for the people who rely on tourism for a living.

Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia have all been devastated by terror attacks in recent years and they are all well down on their previous highs. The reluctance of tourists to visit is having unintended consequences while other destinations such as Barcelona are experiencing a boom.

While it's good news for Greece that bookings are on the rise, the struggle to find value in Spain shows just how difficult a summer it might be for European tour operators. Thomas Cook's cautious outlook hints at gloomier times ahead.

Considering the United States was the only major country to bar flights from Turkey’s airlines, it makes sense that that ban could be lifted relatively quickly.