90% fewer Norwegians take vacations in Turkey

KaputasKaputas.Turkey.Photo: pixabay.com

In only four years, the number of Norwegians taking a southern holiday in Turkey has fallen by 90%. At the same time, the number of travellers visiting Greece, Croatia, and Spain has risen.

 

‘In the record year 2013, nearly 400,000 Norwegians went on package tours to Turkey. This year, the number was approximately 40,000,’ said Erik Haug, CEO of Apollo Reiser.

Due to lack of demand, 2017 became the first year in which Apollo Reiser didn’t have charter flights to Turkey.

But Haug says the traditional package deals to the sun have remained stable over the past three years, with about a million holiday-makers.

‘Ten years ago, Apollo had only one direct flight to Croatia from Oslo. This summer we had 11 direct flights from ten different cities in Norway, he said.

Why tourism fell in Turkey while remaining stable in London, France and Spain, which have been the victim of several terrorist attacks, Haug does not have a concrete answer.

‘What we see from our numbers is that popular destinations and typical ‘regulars’ among Norwegians, such as London, can withstand more adverse publicity than others’, he said.

In general, Haug reports historically high travel activity, with an increase of 20% in the number of sold journeys compared to last year.

One analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, surmised that many Norwegians could possibly be sceptical of the reality of terrorist attacks in Britain, France and Spain, though less so of those reported in Turkey.

 

©  NTB Scanpix / Norway Today