Ferries heading to Greek islands are seen in the Bodrum district of Mugla, Türkiye, July 5, 2024. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)
ANKARA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- A combination of a new visa program and lower overall expenses is driving a surge of Turkish tourists to the Greek Islands, industry officials and travelers report.
Engin Celik, a university teacher from Ankara, recently enjoyed a four-day trip to Rhodes, a popular tourism destination in the South Aegean, with his wife under a new visa program.
"The whole trip cost me around 30 percent less than a vacation in a Turkish resort," Celik said, adding it is convenient under the new visa program.
Launched in April, the new visa scheme allows Turks to visit 10 Aegean islands of Greece near the Turkish coast for up to a week without needing a full Schengen Area visa.
Experts say the move aims to not only attract tourists but also improve relations between Türkiye and Greece.
"The number of Turks vacationing on the Greek Islands has increased by 100 percent" since the visa scheme began, according to Hamit Kuk of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies.
"Turks flocked there during the Eid al-Adha festival in mid-June because it was more affordable," Kuk said, attributing the trend to lower taxes on food and alcohol in Greece.
Türkiye has been grappling with persistently high inflation and a depreciated Turkish lira. While foreign travelers benefit from the weak lira, domestic tourism suffers as purchasing power weakens. Cheaper options outside Türkiye have become more attractive.
Meanwhile, Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy emphasized that Türkiye offers a wider range of destinations with competitive prices in the Mediterranean.
Over the past decade, Türkiye has made significant investments in its vital tourism industry. Last year, it saw a record of foreign arrivals at 49.2 million, up from 44.6 million in 2022, generating a total income of over 54 billion U.S. dollars, according to the official statistics.
"For a short vacation of four or five days, Greek islands can be more affordable. However, for a two-week holiday, Türkiye offers discounted tour options compared to Greece," said Esra Demir, a travel agency associate from the Ankara-based Sun Tours, told Xinhua.
Domestic tourists are setting their sights on September or October vacations when prices are expected to fall dramatically compared to the peak summer months of July and August, Demir added. ■