The fall in the British pound against both the US dollar and the euro has made holidays to traditional destinations more expensive for travelers from the UK. As a result, Britons are heading to places where their money can buy a little more, and Turkey has been one beneficiary. The pound is accepted as currency in many places in Turkey, and it also relatively strong against the Turkish lira, so Brits can get some great deals by heading to the eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.
In a recent interview with the Anatolia News Agency, Volkan Şimşek, President of Turkey’s Professional Hotel Managers Association, noted that the country has emerged as an attractive alternative for travelers from the UK. “Nearly 5 million tourists were flocking to Spanish beaches every year, and we have started to see a serious decline in this number. We know that a good number of those who are now avoiding Spanish resorts are heading to much cheaper Turkish alternatives,” Şimşek said.
Travelers from Germany and Russia are typically the largest groups to visit Turkey, but British tourists are quickly catching up. Over the past 12 months approximately 1.5 million Britons travelled to Turkey for holidays, and that is expected to reach 3 million with a couple of years. Şimşek indicated that more and more hotels and holiday facilities are working to attract the British tourist.
Useful Resources
