Australians with plans to visit Turkey in the coming months don’t seem to be fazed by yesterday’s attack, despite reports suggesting otherwise.
Media outlets reported an expected influx in hotel cancellations in the growing tourist destination this month, as a result of yesterday’s tragedy, which saw 10 tourists killed in a suicide bombing near a major attraction in Istanbul.
The bomb was allegedly detonated by a Saudi-born man who was not listed on Turkey’s security watch list.
Ten tourists, mostly German, were killed in the explosion at Sultanahmet Square, and 15 others were injured.
The Chief of the Tourist Hoteliers Association in the Turkish region of Cappadocia told a local newspaper that hotels have already started receiving individual cancellations, but expects cancellations will start coming in ‘very intensively’ over the coming days.
He expects the incident to affect reservations as far as August.
Kemal Pazarbasi, the Chief of the Association of Tourists Hotels and Investors, concurred, saying travellers will now start seeing Turkey as “risky destination”.
However, tour operators in Australia say they’ve experienced very little cancellations, suggesting Aussies are still keen to experience the country.
Gypsian Boutique Tours’ Co-Founder, Candace Warner, told KarryOn that the company hadn’t received any cancellations over the last 24 hours.
More interestingly, the tour organiser contacted its guests booked to travel to Turkey in the coming months and they all remained “general quite positive”.
“Australians are supportive of the destination.”
Candace Warner, Gypsian Boutique Tours Co-Founder
She continued, saying that although there’s “no doubt” yesterday’s incident will impact the number of travellers visiting the country, the company feels that Istanbul is “no less safe than Paris or any of the other European capitals”.
“We’re very fortunate that our guests are generally a pretty intrepid bunch that are unfazed by these events and trust us, and our connections in the regions we visit have safety top of mind and we will only proceed with a trip if it is wise to do so,” she said.
“Truthfully, in the coming months security in Sultanahmet (where the event occurred) will be tighter than ever which should give travellers more peace of mind.
“Our advice is to stay away from large gatherings, be aware and try to stay updated on the local news if you can.
“Make sure Smart Traveller is aware of your holiday location and check their site for any travel updates or warnings.”
Fully-guided tour operator specialising in trips to Turkey, Fez Turkey Travel has also received very few concerns from travellers.
The company’s Product Manager, David Dunkley, told KarryOn the company only received one question from a client concerned about cancellation conditions.
He continued, explaining that it will be hard to determine how the event will affect travel to the country and said it will be up to tourists to decide whether they still want to holiday in the destination.
KarryOn, also spoke to an Intrepid Group spokesperson who confirmed none of its brands have experienced any passenger cancellations.
