In the Ayvalık district of Balıkesir, during the 3-day period created by the combination of the official holiday for August 30 Victory Day and the weekend, Turkish vacationers once again flocked to Greece's Aegean islands."
Taking advantage of the holiday, vacationers formed long queues, sometimes exceeding one kilometer, in front of the Ayvalık Maritime Border Gate from the early hours of the day to travel to Greece's Lesbos Island.
Vacationers waiting at the maritime border gate with green passports and those applying for visas on arrival were allowed inside for passport procedures before working hours began.
Nevzat Turhan, a tourism operator from Ayvalık, mentioned the intense interest in the 3-day holiday due to the August 30 Victory Day. He argued that one of the main reasons Turkish vacationers prefer Lesbos Island, a part of Greece and Europe, is that it is very quick and easy to reach from Ayvalık by fast ferry, taking only 45 minutes. 'Lesbos Island is a popular choice for vacationers because its culture is very close to ours and its prices are a bit more affordable compared to Turkey. Given the visa-on-arrival practice, I believe this demand will continue to grow,' Turhan said.
'The visa-on-arrival practice, which was initially planned to end on December 31, has been extended until March 31, 2025.'
Ali Jale, the owner of a ferry company operating between Ayvalık and Lesbos, pointed out that the maritime border gate was extremely crowded due to the August 30 Victory Day. 'The combination of the Victory Day holiday and the weekend has led to a high interest from Turkish vacationers in our services. We plan to operate 10-15 ferry trips during this 3-day period, facilitating the passage of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people from Ayvalık to Lesbos Island,' he said.
Jale also noted that with the end of the summer season coinciding with Victory Day, they have wrapped up the season. 'However, according to new information, the visa-on-arrival practice, initially set to end on December 31, has been extended until March 31, 2025. With the continuation of the visa-on-arrival program, I believe there will be a significant increase in trips to Lesbos Island during the winter, especially on weekends. Of course, we will watch and see this together. This year went quite well for both us and our passengers,' he added.
Emphasizing that the increase in overseas fees did not diminish interest in the Greek islands, Jale explained, 'Since 80% of our guests stay on Lesbos for 2-3 nights, the difference in overseas fees hasn't had much impact on them. However, we think this difference may be felt somewhat during the winter season when day trips increase.'