The Turkish tourism industry predicts that the number of Russian tourists this year will surpass the 6 million guests recorded last year.
Turkiye has become the most popular holiday destination for Russians, especially since the early 2000s. Every year, millions of Russian tourists visit Turkiye, especially Antalya, Izmir and Istanbul.
Last year, Russia ranked first among the countries that sent the most tourists to Turkiye with more than 6 million people.
Turkiye, which has managed to get ahead of its competitors with its climate, nature, rich cuisine, developed infrastructure and quality in the service sector, also stands out in terms of ease of transportation with frequent flights by companies such as Turkish Airlines.
Bahattin Abi, President of the tour company Lisav Travel, said in his evaluation to the AA correspondent at the Moscow International Tourism Fair, which attracted great interest from Turkish and Russian tourism professionals, that Russia has always been an important market for Turkish tourism professionals.
Stating that Turkiye is also an important destination for Russia, Abi said, “Last year, we hosted around 6 million Russian tourists in Turkiye. I believe we will increase this number even higher this year.” said.
Stating that Russia is “an endlessly large market”, Abi said, “The opening of the new airport has also had a huge impact on transit flights. I believe we will easily exceed 6 million this year.”
Abi stated that they expect support from the authorities for more organizations for tourism at home and abroad, and stated that 2024 will be a good tourism season.
“Authorities say 2024 will be the year of Alanya”
Alanya Tourism Promotion Foundation Vice President Mehmet Dahaoglu said that Alanya is a well-known place and that it became even more known after the Russia-Ukraine War.
Stating that Alanya’s safety is the most important reason for choosing it, Dahaoglu said, “We started to receive more tourists as the tourists who came from last year returned happily to their countries and talked about it. The officials we talked to say that 2024 will be the year of Alanya.”
Pointing out the importance of transportation, Dahaoglu emphasized that flights were affected due to sanctions and that they expect solutions to create more capacity.
Pointing out that tourism is based on a delicate balance, Dahaoglu said, “One of the biggest reasons why people choose Alanya is that it is a safe port and a city of peace. In fact, every place in Turkiye is successful in this regard. We really do this job better than many countries in terms of destination, price balance and quality.”
“Turkiye continues to be an affordable holiday destination”
Mehmet Dahaoglu said that the consumer budget was also negatively affected by the Russia-Ukraine War, and that tourism operators in Turkiye had to raise prices in order not to compromise on quality. Emphasizing that despite these, Turkiye continues to be an affordable holiday destination, Dahaoglu said, “I think we will exceed the 6 million figure this year, at least for Russians. As long as the planes’ wings are not damaged.”
Russian tourists’ love for Türkiye
Veronika, a Russian citizen and one of the visitors of the fair, said that she visits Turkiye frequently and likes it very much.
Pointing out that Turkiye is one of the countries where they can go most easily, especially now, Veronika said, “I love Turkiye especially for its ease of transportation, the fact that we can get on a plane and go in a short time. The sea is also very beautiful.”
Veronika stated that she wants to visit Turkiye again soon and said, “Although I have been there so many times, I still have not been to Istanbul. I want to see Istanbul, especially in terms of history. Going to Cappadocia is also among my future plans.”
Russian Vlada also stated that Turkiye is a very beautiful country. “Turkiye is undoubtedly a beautiful country, you can have a holiday for everyone, for every taste.” Vlada said that she also liked Turkish cuisine very much.
Stating that she wants to visit Turkiye this year, Vlada said, “Turkiye is a holiday destination that appeals to everyone. It is possible to take a historical holiday and visit historical places or choose a beach holiday on the southern coastline of Turkiye.”
Source: AA / Prepared by Irem Yildiz