Solo Project|The Impact Of Terrorist Attacks And Political Disturbances On Turkish Tourism Sector
The Impact Of Terrorist Attacks And Political Disturbances On Turkish Tourism Sector. Tourism has become a prominent sector that has an impact on development of a country’s economy. The main benefits of tourism are income creation and generation of jobs.
Ali Qaraqe*
Khas- Data journalism, Graduate Student
For many regions and countries it is the most important source of welfare. The ability of the national economy to benefit from tourism depends on the availability of investment to develop the necessary infrastructure and on its ability to supply the needs of tourists.
When we study the development of tourism in the world we find that Turkey is one of the most visited countries. Tourism in Turkey is important because it affects the development of the country. The tourism sector is an important source of foreign currency for Turkey. Tourism also is important for travel companies, airline companies, car rental companies, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and meeting halls, etc.
The tourism income of Turkey has been constantly increasing every year. In 2004 the number of arrivals was 17 millions approximately, and in 2016 it was close to 31 millions.
Tourism in Turkey declines as a result of Terror attacks
This situation affects positively the development of the country. Turkey is a rich country in terms of historical monuments and attractive landscape. But the tourism sector has also been affected by the latest global crises and recessions at last years. In addition Turkey was one of the most affected by the political turmoil in the Middle East during the last 5 years.
The strategic geographical position of Turkey between east and West, the Syrian crisis and the issue of Kurdish Worker Party, Turkey was exposed to many attacks from ISIS, as well as the terrorist Kurdish Organization (PKK) attacks that increased since 2015. In the same time, some events such as the shooting down of the Russian Air Force fighter jet by Turkish Air Force, the coup attempt on 15 August 2015, the assassination of the Russian ambassador in Ankara; all these factors affected the Economic conditions of Turkey; especially that Turkey is considered as tourist destination.
The following timeline will identify main events and attacks that Turkey was exposed to in the recent years.
Turkey Attacks
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To understand what happened with the number of tourist in Turkey, and how these attacked affect the tourism sector let’s go back to the data of Ministry of Culture and Tourism. By analyzing the data we reached the following results. In the last four years have witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of tourists coming to Turkey.
In 2014, the highest number of tourists was recorded, which was 25 million and 800 thousand tourists. However, the year 2016 recorded a remarkable decline with an average of 30.05% compared to the year 2015, which recorded 25 million and 352 thousand tourists. The main causes for this decline are the terrorist attacks that happened in 2015 & 2016.
The number of tourists of Russia declines and is exceeded by the number of tourists from Georgia
Over the last four years, Germany preserved the highest number of tourists coming to Turkey, around 25 million tourists. The year 2015 scored the highest number of German tourists by 5.5 million tourists. Russia came second in terms of tourists coming to Turkey until 2015. However, 2016 witnessed a sharp decline in the number of Russian tourists which reached 676 thousand tourists only.
After the dispute between the two countries and the shoot-down of the Russian Air Force near the Syrian-Turkish borders, the decline reached 76% compared to 2015. But 2014 had the highest number for Turkish tourism, around 4 million and 400 thousand tourists, and total of 16 million and 600 thousand tourists.
Moreover, Britain came third with a total of 11 million and 700 thousand tourists. While Georgia ranked fourth in terms of Turkey’s most visiting countries with total of 9 million tourist; thus it came before Russia for the first time in 2016 with around 2 million and 200 thousand tourists.
See the chart below
Saudi Arabia the first of Six countries have not recorded decline in tourists’ number over the last four years
During the time of the decline in tourists coming from all countries, only six countries kept the increase of visiting tourists over the last four years: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Algeria, Bahrain and the Israeli Occupation These countries showed a steady progress in number of visitors to Turkey over the last four years.
Saudi Arabia ranked first place among the six countries with an average of 530 tourists in 2016. While the State of Israel occupation ranked the second, Jordan the third, Kuwait the fourth, Algeria the fifth, and finally Bahrain. The total of visiting tourists from those countries reached 1 million and 425 thousand tourists in 2016.
It is important to mention here that around 1.53 million Palestinians, who live in Jerusalem and the 1948 Occupied Territories and hold the passport of the State of Israeli occupation, and they use this passport to enter Turkey and this is one of the main reasons in the increase of tourists who hold the passport of the Israeli occupation despite the recent warnings against visiting Turkey due to the threat of terrorist attacks.
See the chart below.
The decline of Iraqian tourist was’t because of terrorist attacks
Meanwhile, the number of tourists coming from Iran witnessed a slight decline in 2016 with 1 million and 665 thousand tourists; about 2.07% compared to their number in 2015; the Iranian tourists reached 1 million and 700 thousand. As for Iraq, which is considered as one of the major Western Asian countries whose residents visit Turkey, the number witnessed a sharp decline for the first time in the recent years.
In 2016, the number of Iraqi tourists was about 420 thousand; which is a decline of 61.54% due to the new regulations that the Turkish Government imposed on the entrance visa system given to Iraqis who wish to enter Turkey and the implementation of the electronic visa system between the two countries.
See the chart below.
İstanbul received a higher number of tourists than Antalya over the last three years and Artvin the fifth
In terms of the Turkish cities which receive tourists, each of İstanbul, Antalya, Mogla, Edirne and Artvin were the most visited cities between 2012 & 2016. Although the attacks were occurred in Istanbul it was on the top of visiting cities While Antalya has fallen to the second place in the recent years and was exceeded by Istanbul in terms of tourists number which reached 12 million and 400 thousand; an average of 34.29% from the total of Turkish tourism.
However, Istanbul witnessed a sharp decline in 2016, in which the tourists number reached 9 million and 217 thousand. However, Antalya received 5 million and 952 thousand tourists only; which is a sharp decline compared to 2015 when Antalya received 10 million and 874 thousand tourists. In 2016, the total of the tourists from those five cities was 22 million; an average of 22.5% from the total number of tourists entered Turkey in the same year.
See the chart below
Ali Qaraqe*
Kadir Has University, Data journalism Master Students
Sources:
Tourist data
http://bit.ly/2pQaZBf
Timeline for the attack in Turkey
http://bit.ly/2brOM1J
THE EFFECTS OF TOURISM SECTOR ON TURKEY’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
http://bit.ly/2pQfCew
Turkey obligates iraqi citizen to apply for a visa in order to enter turkey
http://bit.ly/2ovGbku
Number of Palestinian around the world
http://bit.ly/2nlfu2r
International tourism data: top destinations, number of arrivals. http://bit.ly/2q1Cowm
Increasing in the number of Gulf tourists in 2016
http://bit.ly/2ntTVxc
The most prominent terrorist attacks in 2015-2016
http://bbc.in/2p2TnPL