4 yıl önce

Turkey: Country ready for tourism, welcomes tourists

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy says the coronavirus is totally under control in the country's touristic regions, which are well prepared to welcome tourists.

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A drone photo shows an aerial view of the long beach in Kemer district of Antalya, Turkey on June 30, 2020.

Turkey has taken a number of steps to boost tourism and the country is ready to welcome tourists this season, a Turkish minister has said.

He said that Covid-19 was totally under control in touristic regions of the country.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy met tourism professionals and representatives of the associations established by the foreigners living there at the "Healthy Tourism, Safe City" meeting held in Alanya, Antalya, with the attendance of Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

Ersoy stressed that the necessary measures were taken immediately as soon as the first Covid-19 cases appeared in the country and added that it was a chance to test Turkey's years of health infrastructure.

"We have received the positive results of this investment ... ," he added.

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Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy gives a speech in the "Healthy Tourism, Safe City" event in the Alanya district of Antalya, Turkey on July 5, 2020.

Lowest numbers

Addressing the meeting, Ersoy said that Covid-19 cases in Turkey's touristic cities are almost the lowest compared with Europe.

"For example, in Antalya, which has a coastline of more than 700 km and a population of more than 2.5 million, the [total] number of cases has been around 520 since March 11. There are four to five daily cases in Antalya."

Ersoy went on saying that the virus is totally under control in these touristic regions which are well prepared in this regard.

He highlighted the importance of Turkey's "Safe Tourism Certification Program" exemplary in Europe.

He noted that tourism investors are voluntarily participating in the programme.

Any tourism facility which has more than 50 rooms has to get the certificate, and the minister said that they reached more than a thousand applicants so far and many more are expected.

'Good news started to come'

As Turkey announced transition to "new normal" rules on June 1, it initiated the necessary procedures to open international air traffic.

Ersoy said that they want to implement a programme to target the higher income groups and qualified tourists as a part of Turkey’s 2023 projection.

"We're doing everything needed for the reopening of international air traffic. We got good news from Hungary and England. I believe that the positive news from the EU will come soon. I believe that Turkey's air traffic to the whole world will resume. "

SOURCE: AA