The news that the tourism sector had been waiting for a long time came on September 17. Based on said decision, the UK will remove Turkey from the red list as of September 22. While the decision in question pleased tourists to come from UK, it especially raised the prospects of the sector in Turkey for 2022. Stating that the British are a nation with a habit of booking early, industry representatives note that the decision will also be the lifeblood for the end of the year.
Representatives of the sector who evaluated the decision stated that mobility had begun, and with the decision taken, Turkey was now in equal terms with competing countries. It was noted that this decision was very promising for the 2022 season.
The President of a prominent association in the sector shared following;
"The decision of the UK's regarding the Red List is gratifying decision. We are not a banned country right now. The UK is a very important market for us. It's a bit of a late decision. We have been on hold since May.
The reason for this decision is we are better off both in terms of our case numbers and in the fight against the pandemic than in competing countries. October is now the last month in tourism, the season is coming to an end. Maybe it won't be a big impact for this year, but it will be a lifeblood for our hotels at the end of the year.
Most of all, we will feel the impact of this decision in 2022. Our sales are currently open next year. The British make their holiday reservations a year in advance. In this sense, it was a very important decision. We started receiving reservations as of September 17, when the decision was announced.
Schools will have a week off in the UK, on October 23. Our hotels that are open will have a good closure at the end of the year. The British tour operators have started working right now."
Concerned decision will also have a significant impact on our winter reservations. For this year, we are expecting between 200-250 thousand British tourists. This will also help to prolong the season and have a positive impact on employment.
After October 4, the UK will return to the green and red list. We hope that our country will remain on the green list.
