Up until recently, Turkey’s popularity as a travel destination placed it among the most visited countries in the world.
The well preserved historical sights, unusual geographical landscapes and a culture that fuses East & West make this country a fascinating and unique place to visit. Unfortunately, recent political events have tarnished Turkey’s reputation as a safe and inviting place to travel to, and as a result, visitor numbers there have dropped dramatically. Like Egypt before it, Turkey’s tourism industry has suffered as a result of sensationalized news stories. Isolated incidents of unrest get massive coverage on the news, which creates a sense of fear for potential travellers to that country. Unfortunately when things settle down again, news stories on this return to stability generally don’t get told, so that sense of fear lingers and Turkish people that once relied on foreign visitors to make a living are left to struggle in a dwindling tourist economy.
Travel is inherently risky regardless of where you go, so it’s important to take the time to educate yourself on the specific risks for each destination you’re considering for your next trip. However one should also take the time to thoughtfully consider the bigger picture to ensure you’re not missing out on the chance to visit a country you’ve always wanted to experience.
But don’t just take my word for it, some feedback from clients of mine that visited Turkey earlier this year:
“Just returned from a 15 day tour of Turkey arranged by Laura of Big Planet travel (PTM). This is our 14th adventure tour so we have some history to compare countries. We had booked the tour in June of 2016 to depart in March of 2017. It was booked before the unrest and political turmoil so we were nervous prior to our departure date and considered cancelling. Somewhat reluctantly, we decided that there is unrest everywhere these days and headed out. We were glad that we did. The people were some of the nicest we have met in our travels; exceptionally friendly and so happy to see tourists. On many occasions they hollered as we went by ‘thank you for coming and tell your friends it is safe.” Turkey has some exceptional sights and many varied activities. We never felt unsafe or uneasy. Do not let the news scare you away from this country.
The people were warm and friendly. Turkey has so much history and there are so many interesting sites to see. The Blue Mosque, St. Sofia, and Ephesus were dazzling. We also marveled at the white cascading “cotton castle” at the hot springs at Pamukkale and the crystal blue Mediterranean waters at Antalya. The highlight of the tour was an amazing hot air balloon ride over the strange and stunning landscape of Cappadocia. Our guide Fatih loved his country. He was eager to give us an insight into his beautiful country. We had a great time!
……John & Linda Baker of Edmonton….
As a professional working in the travel industry day in and day out, a travel agent would be a great person to talk to about any concerns you might have regarding a trip to Turkey or any other worldwide destinations!
