Istanbul terror attack: Will it dash fresh hopes of Turkey's struggling tourism sector?

Ankara, June 29: The deadly terror strike at the Istanbul airport late on Tuesday could deal a blow to Turkey's tourism industry which is already struggling because of the ongoing trouble.

Though the country has taken steps of late to improve ties with Israel and Russia, giving hope to the tour operators, but the latest attack could dash the renewed hopes in no time. [Istanbul terror attack happened when Turkey was mending ties with Israel, Russia]

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said during a parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday that tourism figures have plummeted in recent times because of regional and global crises and bilateral problems with some countries and that his country was expecting a significant rise in the tourist footfalls during Eid-al-Fitr. He was hopeful that renewed efforts to improve ties with Israel and Russia could see an improvement in the scenario.

May saw tourist footfalls in Turkey plummeting alarmingly

May saw the number of foreign tourists in Turkey declining by nearly 35 per cent compared to the same moth last year, marking the steepest decline since the 1990s. [Terror strikes Turkey cities: A timeline]

The arrivals from Russia reduced by a whopping 92 per cent during this time, thanks to the diplomatic row between Ankara and Moscow besides the security concerns, while those from Germany and Great Britain also slumped by 31.5 and 29.4 per cent, respectively. [Turkey: What is the conflict all about]

The United States also warned its citizens against travelling to the southeastern provinces of Turkey amid increased threats from terror groups.

The first five months of 2016 saw the tourist footfalls in Turkey getting reduced by almost 23 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The country is expecting a loss of revenue of around $15 billion this year because of this slump.

Oneindia News