The Turkish tourism sector performed relatively poorly during the
first quarter of this year, amid concerns that some of its rivals may
be making a strong comeback. This could undermine the impressive
growth Turkey has achieved during the last 10 years or so. Between
January and March Turkey received 6.35% fewer tourists compared to
the first three months last year, and tourism income dropped by 9.7%
compared to the same period.
These figures are important as the tourism revenue helps reduce
the current account deficit, and Turkey has worked hard to diversify
and develop its tourism sector. Last year it was able to exploit
troubles in countries such as Egypt, Spain and Greece, in order to
attract potential visitors, and this saw the country receive record
numbers.
Last year Turkey received more than 30 million visitors, and
earned $20 billion in tourism revenue, according to data from the
World Tourism Organisation, but some figures estimate the number of
visitors may have been as high as 36 million. This year there are
concerns that Turkey will be able to maintain these high figures, as
rivals are currently restructuring their tourism industry in order to
mount a formidable comeback.
During last year Egypt’s tourism revenue fell by 29% due to
domestic unrest, but the first quarter of this year saw figures
recover. It's the same story in Greece, although many people may
still choose to book holidays in Turkey due to safety concerns in
both of these countries. Tourism experts are confident the country
can maintain its foothold in the market, and point out Turkey has
become much more popular during recent years and that the service
industry as a whole has improved considerably. They are confident
there will be a 5% increase in the number of tourists this year
compared to 2011.
