Domestic demand to shield tourism from Mideast fallout
While recent Middle East tensions have dampened international travel, booming domestic tourism is expected to offset the downturn, according to Firuz Bağlıkaya, the president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB).
Bağlıkaya noted that a decline is anticipated particularly in travel and bookings from Europe, adding that the scale of this slowdown will depend on the duration and course of the tensions in the Middle East.
He stressed that domestic tourism is expected to increase and said that weaker demand from the European market could lead to some easing in hotel, accommodation and travel prices. In turn, hotels are likely to try to fill any gaps through domestic demand, according to Bağlıkaya.
Bağlıkaya also said it would not be realistic to expect a significant influx of tourists from the Middle East and Iran in the near term, while adding that he does not foresee major problems in the Russian market.
