Tourism hurt by Turkey-Israel tensions

Jerusalem-Ankara tensions are having an adverse effect on Turkish tourism, with seven percent fewer Israelis planning a vacation there during 2010 compared with last year.

Jerusalem-Ankara tensions are having an adverse effect on Turkish tourism, with seven percent fewer Israelis planning a vacation there during 2010 compared with last year.

According to the findings of a survey held prior to IMTM 2010 – Israel’s international tourism fair, to be held February 9/10 at the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds – among Israelis planning to holiday abroad during 2010, only 9% said they would do so in Turkey, compared with 16% who said they were planning a vacation there in 2009.

The survey was held two weeks ago by the GeoCartographia Market Research Institute among 500 men and women representing the adult Jewish population in Israel.

Eyal Shimoni, publisher and editor-in-chief of Israel Travel News and one of the initiators of IMTM, said diplomatic tensions between Israeli and Turkey were definitely a factor Israelis were considering when choosing their holiday destinations.

“The crisis in relations between Turkey and Israel is having an effect, and leading Israeli tourists to seek out other places for their vacation,” he said. โ€Ž”The Turks are aware of the problem, and are planning to attend the tourism fair this year in order to make every effort to block this downward trend, and tempt the Israeli tourist back to their country, โ€Žusing a number of creative marketing devices.”

The survey also shows that there has been a 12% increase in the number of Israelis planning to vacation in 2010 in the Far East (28% this year compared with 16% last year), and in Greece, Cyprus and the islands (31% this year compared with 19% last year).

It shows a 10% increase among Israelis planning to vacation in Europe (74% this year compared with 64% last year), an increase of 8% in Israelis planning a holiday in Sinai (13% this year compared with 5% last year), and an increase of 4% among Israelis planning to vacation in the US (43% this year compared with 39% last year).

All-in-all, 62% of Israelis are planning a vacation in 2010 – a 4% decrease – 23% of them in Israel, 21% abroad, 15% are planning a holiday in Israel and abroad, and 3% are planning a holiday but have not yet decided where.

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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