Turkish tourism can catch up to pre-pandemic levels if the country continues measures enhancing trust and confidence for tourists, according to the former secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
"Turkey is doing very well. If Turkey continues to inspire trust and confidence for visitors, it may reach the pre-2020 rates before the end of 2021," Taleb Rifai, secretary-general of the U.K.-based World Tourism Forum Institute (WTFI), told Anadolu Agency (AA).
The pandemic slashed Turkey’s tourism revenues by two-thirds last year, reflecting the heavy toll from rolling global travel restrictions, stay-home orders and the closures of restaurants and hotels that peaked in the second quarter of 2020.
Turkey relies on tourists to bring in foreign currency that helps decrease the current account deficit. But last year, the sector’s revenues dropped 65.1% year-on-year to $12.06 billion (TL 88.19 billion) from $34.5 billion in 2019.
A second virus wave in recent months led to new restrictions on restaurants and schools, and overnight and weekend curfews. The economy is expected to have avoided a contraction last year and should rebound in 2021.
The number of foreigners visiting the country in 2020 fell 71.7% year-on-year and exceeded 12.7 million, according to the Culture and Tourism Ministry data.
Russians made up 16.8%, or over 2 million, of all visitors, followed by Bulgarians with 9.8%, Germans with 8.8%, Ukrainians with 7.8% and Britons with 6.4%.
In December, 699,330 foreign visitors entered the country, decreasing 67.4% from the same month the previous year.
In 2019, the country welcomed 45 million foreign visitors, up from 39.5 million from 2018.
Previously, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy projected Turkey to end 2020 with slightly over $11 billion in tourism revenues and over 15 million travelers.
Ersoy said Turkey targets 100% growth for 2021 at minimum, which means over 30 million tourists.
Sustainable growth by 2022
The Culture and Tourism Ministry kicked off a Safe Tourism Certificate program at the very beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, implementing effective measures at airports, accommodation facilities and beaches to curb the spread of the disease.
Tourists have been able to vacation with peace of mind thanks to the effective measures enforced by the government, which has set high safety standards in all areas of the industry.
Noting that coronavirus-related travel restrictions caused the tourism sector to collapse, Rifai said even if borders reopen, people will not start traveling immediately due to issues with "trust and confidence perceptions."
Rifai highlighted that vaccinations will have a positive impact on the perception of safety despite their efficacy being questioned.
"It will depend on how successful governments are in promoting safe vaccines and the vaccine’s success rates," he noted.
Touching on Turkey’s success in dealing with the crisis in the 21st century, Rifai underlined the importance of strong political will and belief for the resilience of the tourism sector.
"It is about everyone in the world. It is not about competition but rather coordination and good management," he added.
Rifai stressed that the world will not return to the "good old days" in the short run.
"We will go back to sustainable growth maybe by 2022," he said.
According to the latest data from the UNWTO, global tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020, with international arrivals dropping by 74%.
The collapse in international travel represents an estimated loss of $1.3 trillion in export revenues, the UNWTO said.