Germany 'to not lift Turkey travel warning'

By bne IntelIiNews May 26, 2020

The German government from June plans to lift a tourist travel warning applied to 31 European countries, but Turkey is not among them, according to German media.

In addition to Germany's 26 partner countries in the European Union, the countries include the UK, and four states of the border-free Schengen area, which are not members of the EU: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, news service dpa said.

Berlin could adopt the travel plan as early as May 27, according to the news agency.

Germans make up one of the largest international tourist groups for the Turkish market and if the travel warning on Turkey remains in place this summer, it will be a huge disappointment for the country’s tourism industry, which has been pinning its hopes on a summer recovery after suffering badly amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Last year, more than 5mn German tourists visited Turkey, accounting for 11% of all international holidaymakers that arrived in the country. The numbers of German visitors stood at 3.6mn in 2017 and 4.5mn in 2018.

According to the latest data from the Turkish Tourism Ministry, Turkey welcomed only 435 German tourists in April. In the first four months of the year, 357,000 Germans vacationed in Turkey, marking a 56% y/y decline. 

Related Articles

Kurdish official estimates Iraqi oil losses at $28bn

The 18-month suspension of oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan has cost the state more than $28bn in lost revenue, a senior Kurdish official has said, as the fiscal damage is compounded by security ... more

Turkey’s Şahinler invests $100mn in Egypt’s garments and tourism sectors

Turkish group Şahinler Holding is expanding its operations in Egypt with new investments exceeding $100mn across the ready-made garments and tourism sectors, Al Sharq Business reported on August 27, ... more

Turkish government plans special "People's Aisle" sections in markets for cheaper products

A new government-backed initiative called “Cumhur Reyonu” (“People’s Aisle”) will be rolled out across Turkey’s major supermarket chains, which collectively operate over 55,000 branches ... more

Dismiss