Israeli military raid jeopardizes Turkish tourism

The Israeli military raid on a Turkish aid ship headed for Gaza on Monday is expected to have serious repercussions for the tourism industries of both countries.

Speaking to media in Ankara, Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul G?nay confirmed many Israeli tourists are canceling reservations after the attack, which has left at least nine people dead.

?We have no problem with the people of Israel,? Anatolia news agency quoted G?nay as saying.

?There are cancellations. We understand this.?

Turkey has had problems with Israeli tourists ?since Davos,? G?nay said, referring to the spat during a World Economic Forum conference last year, where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan dramatically stormed out of the hall at the Swiss mountain resort.

?This year, there were reservations and Israelis were coming. Turkey is a country that offers safe travel and holiday for Israel, near the Middle East.

?This won?t change. It will be the same after the Israeli people oust that intolerant government [of theirs],? he said.

G?nay put the number of first cancellations at ?between 10,000 and 20,000.?

However, Başaran Ulusoy, chief of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, said ?a minimum of 70,000-80,000 tourists from Israel will be lost.?

?Turkey is the United Nations of international tourism,? Vatan newspaper quoted him as saying on Tuesday.

?The safety of the lives of Israeli tourists is under the guarantee of the Turkish Republic. Everybody should continue their holidays without fear.?

Cruises changing course after attack

A number of cruises carrying Israeli tourists to destinations such as Alanya and Marmaris changed course on Tuesday after the Israeli assault and are now heading toward Cyprus or Rhodes.

According to Vatan, the Mirage-1, which was carrying 420 Israeli tourists to Alanya, has changed course to Rhodes, while a total of 50,000 reservations have been cancelled in Bodrum and Marmaris.

Sururi ?orabatır, head of the Mediterranean Tourist Hoteliers Association, said another cruise carrying 850 tourists to Alanya is now heading toward Greek Cyprus.

The cancellations occurred in the wake of the Israeli Foreign Ministry notice which advised its citizens not to travel to Turkey.

?In Bodrum, there were already few Israeli tourists due to political tensions,? Y?ksel Aslan, the local director of Brontes, a travel company, told Doğan news agency.

?According to our talks with Israeli agencies, two planes per week were to land at Bodrum, for reservations that start on June 20.?

?The Royal Iris, a cruise that was carrying tourists to Marmaris, has canceled its trip,? Doğan quoted Ş?kr? Tugay, the managing director of the Marmaris Port, as saying.