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A small dip in UK tourist numbers following safety concerns is expected to be corrected by the end of the year.
London Turkish Tourism Office attaché Ali Selcuk Can said tourism figures for the first nine months of the year showed visitor numbers had dropped by 2%.
However, he is confident that the destination will see a boost in Brits visiting the country over the last quarter, leaving the numbers flat year on year.
Can said: “It is difficult to explain the drop. There are different kinds of issues in some of the neighbouring countries that have affected tourisn.
“We are trying to emphasise there is no security issue within Turkey but we have seen the drop (in visitor numbers) anyway.”
Can said the re-election of President Erdogan, who on Monday was reported to have won 316 seats, will also help boost the country’s reputation as a secure destination.
“Stability is important and this is going to be reflected positively in the tourism figures for next year,” he added.
He also said a number of positive initiatives are being introduced in time for 2016 to ensure Turkey sales are boosted.
Can said: “We will be starting our marketing campaign earlier than before. We will have a television advertising campaign going out in time for January which is the busiest booking period for the UK and we are trying to catch that.”
He also believes the UK travel industry will benefit from a five-module agent training programme with essential information both on the country’s key tourist regions as well as other factors, including food, history and sports.
The country will also be making a concerted push of its cultural offering, particularly with next year’s Expo 2016 Antalya. The event will celebrate both agriculture and horticulture when it takes place for six months, starting April 23.
It is expected to attract eight million people.
Can added the country is also celebrating having 15 Unesco World Heritage sites following the inclusion of two more earlier this year. Both the ancient city of Ephesus in western Turkey and the Diyarbakir Fortress are now on the list and should attract more tourists.
Turkey certainly has the product and if it can convince tourists they will be safe, 2016 should be a strong year
