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Cancellations to Spain's Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca sees Brits Head for Turkey

By Tony Winterburn • Published: 08 Aug 2020 • 19:54

Unrestricted travel: Only 5 countries allow unrestricted travel to Spain image: Twitter

As airlines cancel flights to Spain so British Holidaymakers turn towards turkey for their summer break.
Thousands of British holidaymakers who had their flights cancelled due to the quarantine restriction on travellers from Spain to the UK recently have re-booked for Turkey- costing businesses on the Costa del Sol and the Costa Blanca millions of euros in lost revenue.
Travel agents in the UK are working all the hours they can to change bookings for Spain to Turkey at the last minute as Jet2 and Tui drop Spain and offer refunds or the chance to rebook later on the year. This has caused Turkeys economics to rise by 60% and Spain’s dip by 85%- a situation the Spanish government is trying hard to reverse.

A Turkish tour operator hands out free sanitiser kits to all tourists. image: Twitter

Holidaymakers say the top-notch measures taken against the coronavirus are what enable them to enjoy summertime in Turkey’s resort cities, favourite destinations for the British in recent years.
Andrew Dear, who was among the very first British holidaymakers to grab a flight and arrive in Turkey after the coronavirus lockdown, says he found Turkey safer than the U.K. His remarks were backed by many other passengers returning to the UK.
           View of the harbour from the Alanya Peninsula on the Turkish Riviera. image: Wikipedia

The U.K. earlier this month included Turkey in its list of nearly 60 ‘safe’ countries and said it would ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from these countries it deems to be a lower risk for COVID-19. Arriving British holidaymakers praised the measures taken by Turkey, to ensure a safe and healthy stay of tourists in the facilities and beaches.
Stretching along Turkey’s Aegean coast, Muğla is known for its historical remains, natural riches and beaches. It hosts millions of foreign visitors each year. The province welcomed around 1.14 million British tourists last year, up from around 1 million in 2018.
   A museum in Muğla- tourists enjoy a host of activities in Turkey and Spain is their biggest competitor. image: Wikipedia

The U.K.’s official pandemic death toll, which stood at more than 45,000 as of Friday, has for several weeks been the highest in Europe and the third-highest in the world behind the U.S. and Brazil.
Tourism facilities and beaches in Turkey started welcoming guests following necessary preparations in line with the Safe Tourism Certification program, jointly launched by the Foreign Ministry, Culture and Tourism Ministry and Transportation Ministry.
British holidaymakers arriving in Turkey are surprised by the level of care the Turkish authorities have gone to ensure they enjoy their stay in the country. image: Twitter

The program sets out a series of measures for various sectors, including accommodation, transportation, the health status of travellers and employee facilities for those looking to spend their vacation in Turkey.
Tui offers Turkish Delight! Over 40,000 seats on sale to Antalya with up to four weekly services departing to the Turkish sunshine- but none so far to Spain. image: Twitter

 

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Tony Winterburn

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Comments

    • MP

      10 August 2020 • 08:12

      I thought all those people were trying to except form Turkey on rubber dinghies to Greece.

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