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Joint tourist routes between Bulgaria and Türkiye on the agenda

Speaking at the opening of the tourism forum “Bulgaria - discover and share” in Istanbul, which aimed at discussing the possibilities of interaction between the Bulgarian and Turkish tourism product, Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev expressed the belief that there is significant potential for further increasing the exchange of tourists between the two countries. The winter tourism routes in Bulgaria, including Bansko, are well known in Türkiye, Minister Miloshev said, adding that the total number of Turkish tourists visiting Bulgaria between December 1, 2023 and March 25, 2024 is 53,000. “It is in the interests of both countries to create common tourist routes based on common history, culture and culinary traditions,” said the Bulgarian Tourism Minister, who emphasized the need to create a common tourism product between Türkiye and Bulgaria during a meeting with representatives of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies. Preparations are underway to organize a tour of Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo for tourism operators, travel agencies and media outlets from Türkiye before the start of the winter season, with the aim of promoting winter and SPA tourism opportunities in our country. Tourism Minister Miloshev met with representatives of the Turkish Airlines Company to discuss the possibilities of attracting more Turkish tourists to Bulgaria from Türkiye and destinations such as China and Japan. Turkish Airlines expressed their readiness to advertise Bulgaria as part of the joint tourism product with Türkiye.

The application process has started for 'travel-loving' young people

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Osman Aşkın Bak, announced that applications have started for the Seyahatsever Project, which offers young people free accommodation in GSB dormitories. In his post on social media titled "Let the preparations begin and routes be created with Seyahatsever!" Minister Bak said, "Our young people will stay in GSB dormitories for 5 days free of charge and will have an unforgettable summer discovering the unique beauty of our country." The Seyahatsever Project will continue from July 8 to August 25. As part of the Seyahatsever Project, one girls' and one boys' dormitory in provinces except for the earthquake region will be allocated for the use of young people during the summer period. Young people aged 18-30 who want to benefit from the project can call the call center at 444 0 472 (ALO GSB) at least one day in advance and make a reservation to stay free of charge for 5 days in the GSB dormitories in the province of their choice. The project will continue from July 8 to August 25. Detailed information about the project can also be accessed at "seyahatsever.gsb.gov.tr".

Istanbul's tourist inflow still robust as 8-month arrivals top 11.5M

The number of tourists arriving in the metropolis, often described as the bridge between Europe and Asia, jumped 13.2% year-over-year from January through August to 11.52 million, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said. This year’s momentum has been driven by an influx from Europe, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom, besides arrivals from Russia, mainly due to flight restrictions imposed by Western nations over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Arrivals from the Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia, have also gained momentum. In August alone, arrivals jumped 4.9% to nearly 1.75 million, the data showed, maintaining a strong trend after July’s figure of 1.87 million marked the highest monthly level in a decade. Visitors from Russia (179,017), Germany (127,486), Iran (101,459) and the United States (81,257) topped the list of foreigners who visited Istanbul in August. Among others, arrivals from Saudi Arabia (74,664), the United Kingdom (72,002) and France (61,850) also gained pace. Within the Arab countries, Saudi Arabia maintained its leading position, followed by Iraq, Kuwait, Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, Libya and Egypt. The overall figure accounts for almost a third of 33.4 million tourists who arrived in Türkiye in the eighth-month period, which marked a nearly 14% year-over-year jump, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data. The city’s main gateway, Istanbul Airport, continued to play a pivotal role in facilitating international travel. In August alone, some 1.23 million tourists opted to use Istanbul Airport out of a total of nearly 8.1 million foreign travelers serviced in the first eight months. Tourism represents a critical source of revenue for Türkiye as the government focuses on curbing the chronic current account deficit. Last year’s complete rebound from the pandemic fallout saw the number of tourists near a record, generating all-time high revenues and prompting the government to raise its annual estimates. The government sees foreign arrivals reaching 60 million this year, which it estimates will hit 90 million in 2028. For the income, it sees it rising to $56 billion this year and $100 billion five years from now. The revenues surged 27% year-over-year to $21.7 billion in the first six months of this year. Arrivals surged 80.33% to 44.6 million in 2022, just shy of the peak of 45.1 million in 2019. Income climbed 53.4% to a record high of nearly $46.3 billion as the lingering effects of the pandemic dissipated and Russian arrivals rocketed after Moscow invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Tourism contributes about 10% to Türkiye’s gross domestic product (GDP). In addition, around 1.7 million people worked in accommodation and food services in 2022 – about 5% of total employment.

Hong Kong is set to give away 500,000 free airline tickets

The “Hello Hong Kong” initiative was unveiled on Thursday but has been in the works for over two years. Tickets will be spread out among the city’s three airlines – flag carrier Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hongkong Airlines. The 500,000 tickets cost the city about $254.8 million in total. How the giveaway works Travelers keen to travel to Hong Kong can visit the World of Winners splash page starting March 1 to enter their names into the flight ticket lottery. The tickets will be allocated in three waves: from March 1 to people across Southeast Asia, from April 1 to people living in mainland China and from May 1 to residents in the rest of the world. Locals can get in on the action, too. From July 1, some airline tickets will be given out to Hong Kongers eager for a chance to make up for lost travel time. Those who have been to Hong Kong before will find a different city than the one they may remember. Some beloved local attractions, like the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant, have closed permanently. Others, like the famous Peak Tram, have gotten a makeover during the pandemic. Bringing travel back Hong Kong was slow and cautious in its approach to the coronavirus pandemic. The city began to cancel in-person events in January 2020 when the first cases of patients exhibiting symptoms of a new flu-like disease were reported in Wuhan, China. Traveling in and out of Hong Kong was challenging and expensive during the pandemic. Strict quarantines, which peaked at 21 days of isolation, and requirements for multiple PCR tests kept out the majority of travelers. These quarantines were served in hotels and paid for by travelers. Those who tested positive for the virus on arrival were sent to government facilities. Entry into the city was restricted to Hong Kong residents. A Facebook group of more than 30,000 members helped Hong Kongers support each other through the challenging period, with some members sharing food deliveries, giving advice about coping with solitude and trading exercise tips. Before the pandemic, Hong Kong saw 56 million visitors in a typical year. By 2022, that number had fallen to about 100,000. And it wasn’t only foreign tourists staying away. The financial hub experienced its largest population drop since 1961, going down 1.6%. By the time the city’s chief executive John Lee announced in September 2022 that quarantines would end, some worried it might be too late. Source: CNN Travel

Turkish travel spending more than doubled in 2022 season

Spending on local trips in Türkiye more than doubled in the third quarter of 2022, as domestic tourism mobility gained pace in a year marked by an overall rebound in foreign arrivals. Local travelers spent about TL 63.37 billion ($3.37 billion) on trips within Türkiye in the July-September period, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) said, marking a 112.6% increase versus a year ago. The authority said nearly 19.16 million people traveled in the third quarter. The number of trips with one or more overnight stays rose 1.1% year-over-year to 23.38 million, the data showed. The travelers made approximately 225.21 million overnight stays. Average overnight stays were 9.6 nights per person, while spending per trip amounted to some TL 2,710, the institute said. Personal expenditures accounted for 88.7% of the overall spending, followed by tour expenditures, which represented 11.3%, or TL 7.17 billion. Food and drinks spending accounted for 31.8%, followed by transportation at 27.8% and accommodation at 15.1%, the data showed. Food and drinks expenditures rose 108.5% year-over-year, while the latter two were up 155.8% and 111.1%, respectively. The rebound in domestic tourism added to a buoyant 2022 season that saw a strong recovery in the number of foreign visitors arriving in Türkiye, after a 2020 slump owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Backed by demand from European countries, foreign arrivals jumped 84.77% year-over-year in the January-November period of 2022, reaching 42.16 million people, matching pre-pandemic levels of 2019. With 5.48 million arrivals, Germans topped the list, followed by nearly 4.95 million arrivals from Russia and 3.3 million arrivals from the United Kingdom, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data. The arrivals have been mainly boosted by Russian visitors who were hit by flight restrictions by Western countries after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The rebound prompted the government to revise its year-end tourism targets several times throughout the year. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy last month said they expected 51.5 million tourists and $46 billion in revenues in 2022. Estimates had stood at 45 million arrivals and $35 billion in income at the beginning of the year. Forecasts for 2023 have also been upgraded, as Türkiye now expects 60 million foreign visitors and $56 billion in revenue. Officials had hoped tourism this year could replicate or exceed 2019 figures when some 52 million visitors brought in $34 billion in revenue. The number of foreign visitors soared by 94.1% to 24.71 million in 2021 when COVID-19 measures were eased compared to 2020. Tourism revenues doubled to almost $25 billion but remained well below the recorded level in 2019. Revenues from January through September 2022 already reached $35 billion, according to data from TurkStat, up nearly 68% versus the same period in 2021. Tourism revenues are vital to Türkiye’s economy as the government’s new economic program focuses on flipping the current account deficits to a surplus, prioritizing exports, production and investments while curbing rising inflation. Source: Daily Sabah

"Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi" ilk seferine başlıyor

Bakanlıktan yapılan açıklamada, Turistik Doğu Ekspresi'ne yoğun talep geldiğini, bunun sonucunda da yeni sefer çalışmalarının yapıldığı belirtildi. Yarıyıl tatilinde artan turizm amaçlı yolcu talebini karşılamak amacıyla Kars-Erzurum arasında "Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi" adında yeni bir seferin işletmeye konulduğu bildirilen açıklamada, şu bilgilere yer verildi: "Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi, 21 Ocak'ta başlayıp, 31 Ocak'a kadar her gün işleyecektir. Şubat içerisinde sadece cumartesi ve pazar günleri çalışacaktır. Kars-Erzurum Turistik Ekspresi Kars'tan saat 07.20'de hareket edecek, Erzurum'a 11.10'da ulaşacaktır. Erzurum'dan 14.55'te kalkacak tren, Kars'a 18.45'te varacaktır. Pulman tipli vagonlardan oluşacak tren gidiş ve dönüşte Sarıkamış'ta duracaktır." Açıklamada, trenlerin, 234 kişilik kapasiteye sahip olacağı ve biletlerin internetten, mobil uygulama ve gişelerden satın alınabileceği duyuruldu. Yeni rota ile bölgenin turizmine destek verileceği vurgulanan açıklamada, şunlar kaydedildi: "Ülkemizin saklı güzelliklerini hem vatandaşlarımıza hem de turistlere tanıtıyoruz. Demir yolu taşımacılığında yaşanan gelişmeler, vatandaşlarımızın seyahat tercihlerini de etkiledi. Demir yollarında bahar havasını yeniden oluşturduk. Demir yollarının Türkiye için stratejik önemde olduğunu biliyoruz. Bu bilinçle mozaiğin parçalarını birleştirircesine demir yollarını ayağa kaldırıyoruz."

China lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travellers

Photo by Norbert Braun on Unsplash. Scene in Chinatown Bangkok China has lifted quarantine requirements for inbound travellers, ending almost three years of self-imposed isolation even as the country battles a surge in Covid cases. On Sunday, mainland China also opened its border to Hong Kong, dismantling the last pillars of a zero-Covid policy that had shielded people from the virus but also cut them off from the rest of the world. The containment policy had a huge impact on the world’s second-biggest economy and generated resentment throughout Chinese society that led to nationwide protests just before it was eased. In the final unravelling of those rules, Sunday saw inbound travellers to China no longer required to quarantine, after almost three years of being subject to varying durations of mandatory isolation. At Shanghai’s Pudong international airport, a woman surnamed Pang told news agency AFP she was thrilled with the change to the rules. “I think it’s really good that the policy has changed now, it’s really humane,” she said. “It’s a necessary step, I think. Covid has become normalised now and after this hurdle everything will be smooth.” Chinese people rushed to plan trips abroad after officials last month announced that quarantine would be dropped, sending inquiries on popular travel websites soaring. But the expected surge in visitors has led more than a dozen countries to impose mandatory Covid tests on travellers from the world’s most populous nation as it battles its worst-ever outbreak. The outbreak is forecast to worsen as China enters the lunar new year holiday this month, during which millions are expected to travel from hard-hit megacities to the countryside to visit vulnerable older relatives. China on Saturday marked the first day of “chun yun”, the 40-day period of lunar new year travel known pre-pandemic as the world’s largest annual migration of people. This lunar new year public holiday, which officially runs from 21 January, will be the first since 2020 without domestic travel restrictions. China’s ministry of transport said on Friday that it expected more than 2 billion passengers to take trips over the next 40 days. In China’s southern semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, stringent cross-border travel restrictions with the Chinese mainland were relaxed on Sunday. Hong Kong’s recession-hit economy is desperate to reconnect with its biggest source of growth, and families separated by the boundary are looking forward to reunions over the lunar new year. Up to 50,000 Hong Kong residents will be able to cross the border daily at three land checkpoints after registering online. Another 10,000 will be allowed to enter by sea, air or bridges without needing to register in advance, the city’s leader, John Lee, said. More than 280,000 in total had registered to make the journey within a day of the new rules being announced. But Hong Kong travellers will still need to present a negative nucleic acid test result obtained no more than 48 hours before departure. ‘We are ready’: relief and excitement builds in Thailand with Chinese tourists set to return Immigration authorities will start issuing permits for mainlanders to travel to Hong Kong and Macau “according to the epidemic situation and service capacities”, the city has said. Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific has said it will more than double its flights to the Chinese mainland. Across Asia, tourist hubs are preparing for a surge in Chinese visitors. At a crepe stand in Seoul, Son Kyung-rak said he was making plans to deal with a flood of tourists. “We’re looking to hire and preparing to stock up,” the 24-year-old said in Seoul’s popular downtown Myeongdong district. “Chinese tourists are our main customers, so the more the merrier.” In Tokyo, caricaturist Masashi Higashitani was dusting off his Chinese language skills as he prepared for more holidaymakers. But while he said he was thrilled about China’s reopening, he admitted some apprehension. “I wonder if an influx of too many of them might overwhelm our capacity. I’m also worried that we need to be more careful about anti-virus measures.” Source: theguardian.com

Mardin: Turkey's ancient treasure trove

Donkeys meander through narrow streets past doorways and through low arches, suddenly braying around corners at startled tourists while residents continue on their way, unperturbed. Old stone walls reverberate with the gentle murmur of conversations in Arabic, Syriac, Armenian, Kurdish, Torani, Turkish and Aramaic, an ancient Semitic language once believed to have been used by Jesus. This is Mardin, a city in southeast Turkey where thousands of years of history are visible around every corner. Seen from above, Mardin's shimmering white gold buildings form a line of terraces built on a hill looking across the plains to present-day Syria, but once upon a time the town was part of Mesopotamia, a region bounded by the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Located where major civilizations like the Sumerians and Babylonians came to power, Mardin has a complex history. Changing hands At one time or another just about everyone owned a piece of Mardin. Nabataean Arabs called it home from 150 B.C.E. to 250 C.E., but by the 4th century it was an important Syriac Christian settlement, established by the Assyrians. Then came the Romans and Byzantines. In the 11th century, the Seljuk Turks set about making it their own but were thwarted by the arrival of the Artuqid Turkomans in the 12th century. This dynasty, originally from northern Iraq (Diyarbakır in modern day Turkey), managed to stay in control for three hundred years, until the Mongols took the reins. They in turn were replaced by a Persian Turkoman monarchy. Surprisingly, when Ottoman sultan Selim the Grim took over in 1517, there was still a Christian population living in the town. Today Mardin has a unique atmosphere and flavor due to this diverse ethnic and religious background. Despite its ancient credentials, Mardin is a lively and dynamic town where the past lives on in the present. Take Kırklar Kilisesi, also known as Mor Behnam, one of seven Syriac Orthodox churches. Originally constructed in 569 C.E., the Church of the Forty Martyrs, as it's known in English, took its name when the relics of 40 martyrs were brought here in 1170. Architecturally the church is simplicity itself. Outside, an elegant domed bell tower topped with a cross sits in a rectangular courtyard bounded by golden stone walls. Inside, regular services take place, part of an unbroken tradition carried out by Aramaic Christians for more than 700 years. Queen of the snakes A few streets away, the Mardin Protestant Church built by American believers more than 150 years ago now has an active congregation after being closed for nearly 60 years, while shop windows are adorned with paintings of the Shahmaran. The mythical half-snake, half-woman Shahmaran gets its name from Persian. Shah means king (or in this case queen) and mar is snake so the Shahmaran was Queen of the Snakes. According to Anatolian folklore, she lived in Mardin. The decorations on the Abdullatif Mosque from 1371 contrast dramatically with the austerity of the churches. Its two large portals are so delicately carved it's hard to believe they're made from solid stone. A recessed stalactite carving forms the focal point, with vertical and horizontal patterned stonework surrounds. The mosque is a sublime architectural example from the Artuqid period, while Zinciriye Medresesi, a religious school dating from 1385, is another. The seminary, also known as İsa Bey Medresesi after the last Artuqid Sultan, has an imposing doorway that contains exquisite masonry technique. The ribbing on the rooftop stone domes makes them appear lighter than air. Pretty gardens lead to a small mosque containing an ornately carved mihrab niche which indicates the direction of Mecca. Mardin Houses Also worth a look is the post office, with good reason. Converted to public use in the 1950s, it came to the attention of domestic tourists in the early 2000s when it was used as the set for the highly popular Turkish miniseries "Sıla." The building was originally designed as a private home by Armenian architect Sarkis Elyas Lole in 1890. Steps lead through a small archway onto a grand terrace overlooking the Şehidiye Mosque to the empty plains beyond. Historical Bazaar Lole also built the 1889 cavalry barracks that now house the Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum. Displays include lifelike tableaux and contemporary exhibitions giving a clear sense of daily life in Mardin, both past and present. Over in the Mardin Museum, located in the former Assyrian Catholic Patriarchate from 1895, ancient history is represented through artefacts from Mesopotamia and Assyria, Roman mosaics and Ottoman objects. Mardin Citadel Underground sanctuary Walk in any direction and the streets of Mardin offer up gorgeous visuals, none more so than Ulu Camii, the Great Mosque. Although founded by the Seljuk Turks, its current form is largely due to Artuqid ruler Beg II Ghazi II. He commissioned new works in 1176, with more completed by the Ottomans in the 18th and 19th centuries. The surface of the mosque's one remaining minaret is embellished with Seljuk, Artuqid and Ottoman inscriptions. This obsession with detail is reflected in tel kare, the filigree silver jewelry sold in many of the shops, although most of the pieces are produced in family-owned workshops in neighboring Midyat. A few miles outside the city the sombre yet majestic Deyrulzafaran (House of Saffron) monastery and original seat of the Syriac Orthodox Patriarchate, is a must-see. This large walled complex was built on a site dedicated to the worship of the sun. Deyrulzafaran Although destroyed by the Persians and then looted by 14th-century Mongol-Turkic conqueror Tamerlane, the original underground sanctuary still exists. Guided tours take visitors through exquisitely carved 300-year-old wooden doors, past inscriptions in Syriac, centuries-old wooden litters and thrones, hand-embroidered Bible scenes and other religious paraphernalia. Plain guest rooms accommodate the devout attending services held in Aramaic. Meanwhile, excavations at Dara, an important East Rome military city around 19 miles outside Mardin, have been ongoing since 1986. The finds have been abundant, to say the least. The most recent was an olive workshop dating from the sixth century. This confirms the city was an important olive oil production and trade center, as well as the site of numerous military conflicts. Many underground cisterns left over from Mesopotamia's original irrigation system are open to the public. One is so enormous, locals refer to it as zindan, a dungeon, and tell stories of it being used as a prison. It descends 82 feet underground with access through the basement of a village house, provided you can find the man with the key. Back in Mardin, another ancient attraction is the castle -- during the Roman period the city was called Marida, an ancient Neo-Aramaic word meaning fortress. The stronghold is very high up above the town and while a path leads almost to the gates, it's not open to the public. Some might feel the effort (and risk of heatstroke in summer) worth it for the stellar views. Others might just prefer to stay in town and enjoy a glass of wine. Most of the local winemakers are Assyrians. They follow ancient traditions and use regional grapes to produce wines completely different to those found elsewhere in the country. Definitely a fitting way to salute Mardin's multicultural mix. Source: cnn.com

Türkiye most favorite holiday spot for Russians in 2022

Türkiye has been the hottest holiday spot for Russians in 2022, according to a top tour operators association, driven mainly by the fact that their trips were hit by Western restrictions after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Some 5.3 million Russians visited Türkiye this year, according to Maya Lomidze, the executive director of Russia’s Association of Tour Operators (ATOR). Russian tourists have been one of the main drivers of the rebound in Türkiye’s tourism this year, in addition to a major leap in demand from Europe, spearheaded by Germany and the United Kingdom. Russians’ trips abroad have been disrupted by flight restrictions by Western countries after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) also emerged as one of the top destinations for Russian tourists, although lagged way behind Türkiye with a significantly lower figure of 1 million, Lomidze said at a news conference in Moscow on Tuesday. Another 850,000 to 900,000 Russians traveled to Egypt this year, while some 410,000 went to Thailand, she added. For the New Year’s holidays, about 3 million Russians will travel inside the country and about 600,000 plan to go abroad, according to Lomidze. Trips to Türkiye, Egypt, Thailand and the UAE have been the most popular for the break, with much lower demand for tours to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, she said. Backed by demand from European countries, foreign arrivals in Türkiye jumped 44.64% from a year earlier to 2.55 million in November, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data, sustaining a strong recovery after a 2020 slump owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Russian visitors topped the list among nations in November with 312,486 arrivals. They were followed by Bulgaria at 232,709 and Germany at 207,340, the data showed. In the January-November period, the number of foreign visitors reached 42.16 million people, up 84.77% compared to the same period in 2021, matching pre-pandemic levels of 2019. At 5.48 million, Germans topped the list, followed by nearly 4.95 million arrivals from Russia and 3.3 million arrivals from the United Kingdom, said the Culture and Tourism Ministry. Türkiye expects to end 2022 with 51.5 million tourists and $46 billion in revenues. Estimates had stood at 45 million arrivals and $35 billion in income at the beginning of the year. It expects 60 million foreign visitors and $56 billion in revenues for 2023. Source: Daily Sabah

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