Posted on 09/10/2003 8:02:32 AM PDT by a_Turk
ISTANBUL: With nearly five hundred years of rule from the Ottoman palace in Istanbul, Turkey may not be remembered too fondly throughout the Arab world. But history aside, modern day Turkey is proving to be an increasingly popular holiday destination for Arabs of all nationalities.
Predictably, the backlash against Muslims and Arabs following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks has increased the difficulty faced by Arab nationals in visiting the West. “Lots of Arabs from the Gulf and Saudi Arabia used to spend their summer vacation in the United States, but after Sept. 11, they found it difficult getting a visa, and started going to the Far East instead Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand,” explains Saad Abdulhuseyin, an Iraqi national married to a Turk and now running the Istanbul-based Al-Rashed Travel and Tourism.
“Due to the SARS virus, the Far East isn’t too popular this year, and they’ve turned to Turkey instead,” he says.
In fact, the number of Arab visitors to Turkey had already been increasing gradually for some years before Sept. 11, but the subsequent rise has been more marked. Last year alone saw a 15 percent increase in the number of tourists arriving in Turkey from the Gulf, the Levant and North Africa, from 359,000 to 412,000.
Arrivals for this year were slow to take off because of the US invasion of Iraq, but by the end of July, they had already reached 332,000 up 6 percent from last year.
More encouragingly still, travel agents specializing in the Arab market are predicting that the high number of bookings for the peak July, August and September season means that this year could prove to be their best year yet.
“We’re having our best season in five years and it could yet prove to be our best year ever,” agrees Hayri Sarigul of Ashab Turizm, a Turkish travel agency which brings vistors to Turkey from all over the Arab world. The Turkish market, he explains, is split largely along national lines, with Saudis and Gulf Arabs tending to stay in the capital city of Istanbul.
“The women like the cheap shopping opportunities especially for textiles,” says Sarigul.
“A lot of them then travel on to hill resorts near Istanbul like Bursa or Thermal they like the greenery and the cool air.”
Visitors from Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, however, tend to travel overland, often by bus, with many choosing to visit archeological and historical sites en route to Turkey’s popular summer resorts of Bodrum, Marmaris and Kas. Many others though head for cool hill towns in Turkey’s north and east where they rent bungalows in purpose-built mountain resorts.
“In this season, half the population of Uzungol is made up of Arab visitors,” laughs Sarigul, referring to the tiny lakeside town in north eastern Turkey famed for its beautiful scenery and temperate weather.
Turkey’s sudden increased popularity with Arab visitors also owes much to the country’s Islamic culture.
“Most of the business is family groups staying for a month or more. They feel comfortable with the culture, and they have no problems with Turkish food,” explains Saad Abdulhuseyin.
Abdulhuseyin says that many Arab visitors to Istanbul also like visiting the city’s many historical and religious sites, such as the historical mosques and the relics of the Prophet Mohammed displayed in the former Ottoman Royal palace of Topkapi.
“I’m particularly interested in the historical sites, the great mosques and the palaces. They remind me that once the Muslim world was much stranger than it is now,” says Khalid al-Fosain, a Saudi Dentist visiting Istanbul with his family.
However interest in Turkey’s many historical sites is not confined to Muslim Arab visitors.
“Later this month, we have a party of 500 Lebanese Christians arriving in Turkey to visit Christan sites,” says Saad Abdulhuseyin, explaining that the group is led by Father Fadih of the Lebanese Christian radio station Al-Mohabah.
“They will be visiting sites such as the Byzantine churches in Cappadocia and the Virgin Mary’s house at Ephesus.”
But despite the recent huge interest, Turkey faces a challenge if it hopes to hopes to keep its new-found Arab visitors returning in future years.
High among the list of problems faced by Arab visitors this year has been new visa regulations, which no longer allow visitors from Arab countries to purchase visas upon their arrival in Turkey.
Under the newly implemented regulations introduced to bring Turkey closer to the European Union Arab nationals are now obliged to buy visas from Turkish embassies and consulates in their home countries.
“The airlines informed their passengers of the change but some didn’t bother to buy visas before departing and when they arrived they found that they were refused entry,” explains Abdulhuseyin, adding that many Arab visitors also found $40 visa fee too expensive.
Visas aside, many new Arab visitors to Turkey have found the country less welcoming than they expected.
“The hotels are very good value but there seems to a general perception that all Arab visitors are rich,” complained Abdullah al-Ali, who was visiting Turkey from Saudi Arabia with his family.
“The prices we are being asked to pay for many things are just too high,” he explains.
Ali complains that in many of the restaurants around Istanbul’s main touristic area of Sultanahmet, he had found himself paying $2 for a cup of tea and $3 for a coke.
“Many Arab visitors will think twice before coming back next year.”
His complaints, however, could easily be echoed by many of the Western visitors to Turkey who have long been aware that shopping around for the best deal is all part of the Turkish holiday experience.
... and who can blame them?
I hope the Arab tourists continue to go there, instead of the US, for a long long time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.