thenational.ae
ISTANBUL // When a gunman stormed the Reina nightclub on the
banks of the Bosphorus and opened fire on more than 600 revellers
welcoming the New Year, 21 of the 39 people killed were Arab nationals.
And although the suspect has finally been arrested after more than two
weeks, many business owners are wondering how much damage the enormous
death toll of Arab tourists will do to Istanbul’s tourism industry. “It
has been a really terrible season, and it does feel like there are less
Arabs tourists here,” says Mehmut, the owner of a cafe on one of the
side streets off Istiklal Avenue, an area catering to Arab tourists with
many signs in Arabic.
“I hope it feels this way because of the winter, and not because of what happened at the Reina.” Over
the past year, a string of terror attacks and increasing political
instability in Istanbul has caused the city’s once thriving tourism
industry to slow to a mere trickle. European – particularly German and
Russian – tourists who once enjoyed the rich historical sites of
Istanbul and the pristine beaches of the Aegean and the Mediterranean,
have increasingly opted not to visit Turkey, instead flocking to beaches
in Croatia and the Greek islands.
In
the absence of European tourists, Arab tourists – largely from the Gulf
states, but also from Lebanon, Egypt and North Africa – have been
keeping Istanbul’s tourism industry going. With plenty of natural
beauty, religious tourism, and – most importantly – largely visa-free
entry requirements, Istanbul and other cities in Turkey have remained
popular holiday destinations tourists from the Middle East. Tour
guides say visitors from countries in the region that have faced their
own share of political turmoil in recent years, are less concerned about
the risks of instability than European visitors.
Tourists from
the region, who do not enjoy the privilege of visa-free travel in many
other countries, also have fewer options for holidays destinations. Once
popular cities like Beirut have fallen out of favour for many Arab
tourists dues to tensions in the region.
“In
the summer they love the greenery, and the seaside, and in the winter
they love the snow,” Naim, a tour operator with a shop overlooking
Taksim Square tells The National, discussing his Arab clientele. “Also, they love Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” he adds, laughing.
Tour
operators have duly responded to the shift in the market. Many have
launched advertising campaigns solely targeted at Arab tourists which
highlight “halal tourism” options across the country and luxury villas
along the Bosphorus, reminiscent of those seen in the Turkish soap
operas popular in the Arab world. The Saudi-based Arab Tourism
Organisation is even pushing for a series of resorts modelled on
traditional Arab villages throughout Turkey, taking advantage of natural
resources such as thermal baths at Bursa and the uninterrupted
coastline of Antalya.
Naim
used to market bus tours of Istanbul’s historical sites to European
visitors, but says that over the past year his own clientele has shifted
from being made up of a mixture of European, Middle Eastern, and
South-East Asian tourists to overwhelmingly Arab — mainly including
visitors from Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
After the
devastating experiences of Arab tourists inside the Reina Nightclub,
however, this trend might be changing. In the week following the attack,
the UAE became the first Arab country to issue a warning advising its
citizens against travelling to Turkey. Although it remains to be seen
whether or not Emiratis will heed this warning, flight bookings to
Istanbul from Middle Eastern cities have decreased since the attack,
according to analysis carried out by ForwardKeys, a Valencia-based firm
tracking trends in global travel.
“It
was a little bit scary to visit over New Year’s Eve,” admits Wael, a
Lebanese national who visited Istanbul for the first time over the New
Year celebrations. While he did not personally know anyone affected by
the attack, the loss of three Lebanese citizens caused a media frenzy in
Lebanon, and many of his friends and family were worried for his
safety.
“But it is a wonderful city, and I don’t need a visa to go,” he says. “I’ll definitely be back.”
Naim
receives plenty of calls about the security situation in Istanbul –
and, since the Reina attack, even a few cancellations. But despite the
worsening security climate he continues to encourage his clientele to
visit Turkey.
“I tell them, if you come to Istanbul and think about what happened at Reina, don’t come,” he says.
“But if you come to Istanbul, and see our beautiful country, be on the next flight.”
