ISTANBUL
The word “miracle” can best describe the performance of the Turkish tourism industry last year, when the country suffered from devastating earthquakes and geopolitical troubles impacted the sector, says Kaan Kavaloğlu, the president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB).
class=”cf”>
“The tourism season had to start in June due to the earthquakes. Then we had the elections. In the first five months of 2023, there were almost no tourism activity,” he said.
The tourism numbers for 2023 are astonishing, according to Kavaloğlu.
“Our largest – Russia – and third largest – Ukraine – markets are still at war. We managed to compensate the losses from those two markets from the European markets.”
Türkiye attracted 1.15 million Polish tourists, Kavaloğlu said, adding that Poland has become the rising star for the Turkish tourism sector.
It is too early to talk about what may happen in 2024, Kavaloğlu…
