ANTALYA (Sputnik) — In July, the Turkish Statistical Institute said the country's revenues received from the sphere of tourism had decreased by 35.6 percent in the second quarter of 2016. In 2015, Russia was the second-biggest market for Turkey's tourism sector.
"I am very skeptical that the former level of the Turkish market can be restored. This is due to the fact that it will take two or three years to recover this market… Hotels started to save on skilled labor force, food, drinks. It is noticeable in this season. The season 2016 is not typical and we cannot make conclusions, though, the general trend is clear," Sinigibsky told reporters Saturday.
Turkey faced a slump in the number of tourists coming to its resort destinations in 2016 after the Russian government imposed ban on charter flights to Turkey and selling tour packages to the country over the downing of a Russian aircraft by a Turkish jet last fall.
On June 30, Putin signed a decree instructing the government to take steps aimed at lifting restrictions on tourist travel to Turkey as well as on charter flights between Russia and Turkey.
According to Sinigibsky, tourist flows from other states to Turkey have also significantly decreased in 2016.
"Different states have decreased its [tourism] presence in Turkey by 30-50 percent," Sinigibsky added.
Turkey's tourism sector suffers a considerable decline as the country has been hit by a series of deadly terrorist attacks since last year, including in its capital Ankara and the largest city of Istanbul.
