Fury has erupted in northern Cyprus after TUI reportedly struck a controversial deal to stop running day trips for tourists to the Turkish part of the country. Cyprus has essentially been divided in two since the 1970s, with the Greek Cypriot community running the south of the island and the Turkish Cypriot community the north. Huge numbers of British holidaymakers travel to the likes of Paphos, Larnaca, Limassol and Ayia Napa each year, all of which are in the Greek half of the country.
Day trips were being offered by TUI to the Turkish half of the island but it is reported these will stop from the end of August, which has infuriated Turkish Cypriots. Tour guides in Cyprus were reportedly informed via email that the travel giant would no longer promote or sell excursions to the northern half of the island from August 31. Northern Cyprus newspaper Kibris published a screenshot of an email which was reportedly sent by TUI to local guides.
It stated: “TUI has come to an agreement with [the] Cyprus government to stop promoting and selling excursions to [the] northern occupied side of Cyprus. This applies to all languages and all excursions where we currently cross the border to the north.” Turkish Cypriot restaurateurs' association (Res-Bir) board member Cemal Gulercan told Kibris that the deal “will have a negative impact on the service sector and restaurants”.
He added that it will “increase political tensions” between the island’s communities and “can be seen .