Turkish minister hints opening up for international tourism mid-June
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister said that "if there are no setbacks," domestic tourism will pick up around May 28 and travel bans will be lifted by the end of the month. Meanwhile, the ministry is anticipating foreign tourism to start back up mid-June.
Duvar English
Turkey's Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that "if there are no setbacks," the country's domestic tourism industry will pick up around May 28.
"International tourism should start around mid-June. Domestic tourism should start around May 28 inshallah if there are no setbacks," Ersoy said on news broadcaster NTV May 16.
While the minister said that data indicates domestic travel bans could be lifted end of May, the government has been monitoring the state of the COVID-19 outbreak to decide opening borders.
"The Asian market looks like it could open. China and South Korea are improving fast, Ersoy said. "European countries are seriously improving. Foreign tourism should pick up mid-June."
While Turkey's Culture and Tourism Ministry didn't force hotels to shut down, the businesses had to resort to temporary closures to minimize costs, Ersoy said.
"We've established certification programs for COVID-19 precautions, and those involve routine inspections that check for the use of masks and social distancing."
While the certification program will be voluntary, customers will be able to check whether businesses have COVID-19 certifications.