Tourism Industry To Suffer From Recent Bombing In Istanbul

While travelers have long been intrigued by the deep cultural roots of Turkey, the tourism industry of the country may take a hit from the Tuesday bombing in Istanbul.

Ten people were killed by the blast, mostly German tourists. Another fifteen people were injured. Sultanahmet was targeted by the bomber who arrived from Syria recently, according to officials. Every day thousands of tourists visit the historic district, which is home to famous Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said terrorist groups have placed Turkey on the top of their target list even as they continue to fight against all terrorist organizations.

Travel warnings were issued by Denmark and Germany following the bombing in Istanbul on Tuesday. Their citizens were advised to avoid large gatherings in public areas along with tourist sites in the cities. The foreign ministry of Germany is expecting more terror attacks.

A similar advisory was also issued by the US State Department last September advising Americans to remain alert for any instances of violence. The advisory also indicated that US interests in Turkey along with tourist sites were targeted by terrorists in the recent past.

Earl Starkey of Protravel International said tourism in Istanbul will be affected by the attack. He said anything can happen in the world today. He added the attack on Tuesday was not the first time tourists were targeted in Turkey and they will have to wait for the people’s reactions. He added it was not the first time they encountered cancellations.

Tourism Industry To Suffer From Recent Bombing In Istanbul - image credit: telegraph.co.uk

Starkey also said that Istanbul is a city larger than New York and most of the neighborhoods are safe. He added that security is typically heightened right after an attack like Tuesday’s bombing in Istanbul.

Sea Son Tours president Karen Sefer said it was shocking the attack targeted an area frequented by tourists. She said many clients may push through with their travel plans while others may postpone it. Sefer also said they always tell their clients practice vigilance.

Independent newspaper travel editor Simon Calder indicated that the tourism industry of Istanbul will suffer from the attack as visitors from Europe and other Western countries as well as the Arab world may not push through with their summer plans.

He also said if the bombing in Istanbul is considered successful by the perpetrators, additional attacks may happen in the future. Normally, Istanbul is not one of the destinations of popular US cruise lines during this time of the year. While it is popular during the summer, companies normally sail to warm weather spots during the winter. Changes in the itineraries may happen a few months from now.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey said forty million tourists visited Turkey in 2015, which is 5 percent higher than 2013. The Global Destinations Cities Index indicated that Istanbul attracted nearly 33 million tourists in 2015.

Istanbul is ranked fifth tourist attraction by the index, which is higher than New York and behind Bangkok, London, Paris and Dubai. Istanbul is expected to overtake Paris as the second-most visited city in Europe within four years. This growth comes despite numerous security threats facing Turkey. Three attacks were conducted by the Islamic State in 2015.

The attack on Tuesday was considered by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu of Turkey as the work of militant groups and promised to punish individuals connected to the bombing in Istanbul.

Posted by James Fried on Wednesday January 13 2016, 10:17 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0