Turkey is facing a significant slump in tourism as holidaymakers are reportedly favouring Greece instead, leaving Turkish hotels deserted. On April 1 this year, Greece introduced visas on arrival for Turkish visitors, allowing them to visit ten Greek islands with an express visa for up to seven days. The move has led to a surge in the number of Turkish tourists visiting Greece, while many hotel rooms in Turkish resorts have "remained empty", according to VisaGuide.
World. Despite being a firm favourite among Irish, UK and holidaymakers from across Europe, Turkey has heavily relied on Turkish people to holiday in their home country to keep the tourism industry afloat. In the first ten days of April alone, the Greek islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodes welcomed a combined total of 20,690 Turkish tourists.
Many of these visitors would likely have chosen to holiday at home in previous years when securing visas was more challenging. READ MORE: READ MORE: The situation has sparked concern among Turkish tourism representatives, with some calling for the cancellation of express visas, reports the Express . Recent images published in the Greek media depict long lines of Turkish citizens in Ayvali, waiting to board ferries to Lesbos.
The decline in tourism has forced some Turkish resort hotels, such as those in Bodrum, to slash prices by up to 50% for the latter half of July and the first two weeks of August in an attempt to attract visitors. Mustafa Demir, Chairman of the TU.