Turkiye's tourism sector in fallout due to the war in Ukraine, report says

Ukrainians gather to protest Russia’s attacks on Ukraine in Izmir, Turkey on 4 March 2021 [Lokman İlhan/Anadolu Agency]

The tourism sector in Turkiye has been hardest hit by the war between Ukraine and Russia, as the two nations make up the largest group to visit Turkiye, DW reports.

According to the report, in 2021, around 4.7 million Russian tourists visited Turkiye. German holidaymakers were the second-largest group, followed by Ukrainians.

This year, people in Turkiye’s tourist industry are worried about the future. “The hotel sector is hardest hit by the war,” says Firat Solakm, who runs a travel agency in Antalya, a popular Mediterranean resort town.

“We should already be booked out for July and August, but there has been hardly any Russian demand; there are no bookings,” Solakm tells DW.

Turkey is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, with most international tourists coming from Russia.

READ: Turkiye expanding Russia payment system to assist tourists, says Minister

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