Istanbul bombing does little to deter British holidaymakers

Holiday companies say bookings to Turkey remain stable, despite Sunday night’s double bombing in Istanbul’s residential district of Gungoren.

Fears over a slump in tourism appear to be wide of the mark, as tour operators have reported little concern from British holidaymakers.

Last week Telegraph Travel reported that Turkey has overtaken Spain as Britons’ most popular tourist destination, with holidaymakers keen to avoid expensive breaks within the eurozone.

And it appears that Sunday’s bombing – described by Turkish authorities as a “terror” attack – has so far done little to halt that trend.

Eastern Mediterranean specialists Kosmar claimed that it had not received a single call from concerned customers, while bookings remained steady.

“People know they have to take care and be vigilant wherever they are,” said Ruth Hilton, a Kosmar spokeswoman. “Terrorism is a risk throughout the world.”

A statement from TUI said that neither Thomson or First Choice have seen any “adverse impact” on sales to Turkey.

Meanwhile, Thomas Cook said that, although it was still early, there had been no worried callers. The tour operator said that it will be offering the same advice as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The FCO website makes special mention of Sunday’s attack, which left 17 dead and more than 150 injured, while commenting that the risk of terrorism in Turkey is “high”, with targets including tourist areas. However, its advice is identical to that offered on other popular holiday spots such as Spain and Morocco.