Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, addressing questions related to the tourism sector, particularly the decision of Greece to grant on-the-spot visas to Turkish citizens visiting 10 islands.
Ersoy mentioned on the 'Tarafsız Bölge' program on CNN Türk that Greece's decision to grant one-week visas at the entry to 10 islands would stimulate activity in tourism. He highlighted that these islands are already popular among Turks, especially those close to the Turkish coast, and the ease of access via ferry.
When asked if Türkiye might lose local tourists to Greece, Ersoy responded that people who want to travel abroad will do so, and competition in tourism is beneficial for its dynamics. He emphasized that healthy competition fosters realistic approaches and can enhance friendship between citizens of the two countries. While there might be a foreign exchange outflow, Ersoy suggested that it's not necessarily a bad thing and can lead to improved relations.
Ersoy also mentioned that there are around 600,000 tourists traveling between Türkiye and Greece, with the hope that this number would increase to a million, as was the case before the pandemic when relations were good.
