Tag: Jewish tourists

Turkey rises again as a leading resort destination for Israelis

Turkey rises again as a leading resort destination for Israelis

Turkish airline and charter companies have ramped up their number of flights to and from Israel and are preparing to expand service to resort destinations.

By Zohar Blumenkrantz | Apr.03, 2013 | 3:05 AM | 1

An Antalya resort. Photo by David Bachar

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Israeli, Turkish officials to meet April 12 for talks over compensation to flotilla victims’ families

By Haaretz | Apr.03,2013 | 3:05 AM | 30

Interest among Israelis in vacation getaways to Turkey more than quadrupled during Passover week, sparked by a thaw in nearly three years of chilly relations between Jerusalem and Ankara, according to the Travelist website.

Turkish airline and charter companies have ramped up their number of flights to and from Israel and are preparing to expand service to resort destinations besides the traditionally popular Antalya, including Dalaman, Bodrum and Marmaris.

On Sunday, the eve of the last day of Passover, three Turkish charter flights left Ben-Gurion International Airport for Antalya, in addition to the two regular weekly charter flights on Sundays and Thursdays. Turkish charter operators, including Onur Air, Corendon Airlines and Freebird Airlines, are running 25 flights to Antalya from last Sunday until next Wednesday.

“Around 13,000 people have expressed interest in vacationing in Antalya, but due to the early stage of the thaw between Israel and Turkey, they’re still worried about booking,” said Travelist CEO Zion Madmon.

“In terms of interest expressed in vacation destinations, Antalya rose from 12th place to second place after Barcelona and ahead of Berlin, Prague, Paris and Rhodes. In terms of bookings, Antalya rose to fifth place, a 250% jump from last year and similar to Rhodes.”

According to Shai Pardo, chief executive of KTA International, which represents Turkish charter operators in Israel, “I’m pleased with the news, as is Israel’s entire airline and tourism industry. I hope the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and Turkey will restore normal tourism relations.”

Pardo is gearing up to add flights to holiday destinations Israelis once frequented besides Antalya. “Most travelers during the Passover period will be Jewish, but trips are also in the cards for the Arab community during their Muslim holiday,” he said.

The number of passengers traveling between Israel and Turkey rose 58.6% to 85,200 in January and February compared with the same period last year, according to the Israel Airports Authority. In 2012, 687,100 passengers flew between Ben-Gurion and Turkey, 18% more than in 2011.

Meanwhile, the Shin Bet security service is revisiting its policy for safeguarding Israeli airlines in Turkey following Arkia’s request to reinstate flights to Antalya. This began before the normalization was declared.Israeli airlines stopped flying to Turkey amid plummeting demand following the Mavi Marmara flotilla incident in 2010 and differences between the two countries over security arrangements.

via Turkey rises again as a leading resort destination for Israelis – Business – Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper.

April 3, 2013
Turks hope Israeli apology for flotilla raid sparks tourism boom

AFP – The air-clearing apologies were both made and accepted.

Now, Turkey’s tourism industry is holding its breath and hoping that Israel’s apology for a deadly 2010 raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla will translate into a new love affair that will bring Israeli holidaymakers back to its beach resorts.

“After the apology, I think we’ll reach 500,000 (Israeli) tourists this year,” said Timur Bayindir, the president of the Association of Hotel Owners in Turkey (TUROB), convinced that any grudges between the two allies were erased thanks to last week’s diplomatic breakthrough.

And he is not the only one who is optimistic.

“The cooperation between the two countries will resume as before,” Basaran Ulusoy, the president of the Association of Travel Agencies in Turkey (TURSAB), told mainstream daily Sabah.

Prior to the spat, Turkey-Israel relations were warm, and vacationers from the Jewish state were a common sight along the Turkish Mediterranean coastline. Among the 558,000 tourists that visited Turkey in 2008, one out of every 13 was Israeli, making it their top holiday destination.

But relations soured in 2009, when Israel unleashed its devastating 22-day Operation Cast Lead on Gaza.

Turkey was infuriated.

It accused Israel of using disproportionate force in the conflict that cost the lives of 1,400 Palestinians — half of them civilians — and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.

The criticism did not go down well in Israel, where trade unions called for a boycott of Turkey. The number of Israeli tourists in Turkey fell to 312,000 that year.

A year later, relations between the two states hit rock bottom. Israeli commandos staged a botched pre-dawn raid on the six-ship flotilla to Gaza headed by Turkey’s Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals are killed.

In response, Ankara expelled Israel’s ambassador to Turkey and suspended their military cooperation. And angry Turkish mobs took to the streets and burned Israeli flags.

That was when Israeli holidaymakers really began to turn their backs on Turkey.

In 2010, the number of Israeli tourists plummeted to 110,000, in 2011 to 79,000, and last year it only slightly rebounded to 84,000.

The March 22 apology made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan — and brokered by US President Barack Obama — may reverse the trend.

“Before the apologies, we pushed very hard (for) Greece and Bulgaria, but since last week we try to do our best to push Turkish products,” Eyal Kashdan said, the chief executive of Flying Carpet Travel, one of the market leaders in promoting Israeli tourism in Turkey.

“Actually, clients prefer the (Turkish) products, the hotels of Turkey… because of the luxury of the hotels and the all-inclusive system, and they feel that the Turkish cuisine is similar to the Israeli cuisine,” he told AFP.

Still, he does not go as far as to say the Turks can now expect a boom in Israeli tourism. At least not yet. “I think the clients need more time to feel better with the (Turkish) hospitality,” he said.

His reservations are echoed by Daniel Zimet, president of the Zimet Marketing Communications agency which promotes Turkey in Israel.

“Israelis shall be ensured 100 percent that there is nothing to worry about when going to Turkey,” he said, adding that Erdogan is still walking a fine line in regards to doubts cast on whether the Israeli commanders of the flotilla raid still risk judicial proceedings in Turkey.

“It’s still a way to go before things will be totally clarified between the two nations.”

via Turks hope Israeli apology for flotilla raid sparks tourism boom | The Raw Story.

April 1, 2013
Dozens of Israelis travel to Turkey after reconciliation

Israelis take advantage of Passover holiday, apology to Turkey to vacation in resort city. ‘I don’t feel like a traitor,’ traveler says

Danny Sadeh

Published: 03.27.13, 15:15 / Israel Travel

Dozens of Jewish Israelis were expected to board charter flights this week en route to a vacation in the resort city of Antalya, Turkey, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.

Wednesday’s charter flight was ordered after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkey over the death of nine of its citizens during the IDF raid on a Gaza-bound ship in May 2010. Both of Thursday’s flights were ordered in advance for Arab Christians looking to spend their Easter vacation in Turkey’s resorts.

Law students Danny and Hadar from Haifa decided at the last minute to travel to Antalya. “We wanted to go on vacation during Passover, but we did not have a specific destination in mind,” Danny told Yedioth Ahronoth. “Hadar’s parents suggested we travel to Antalya. They had a great time there.

“There is nothing to fear. Some websites are calling (Israelis) who are travelling to Turkey ‘traitors,’ but I don’t feel like one,” he added.

According to figures provided by travel agencies, 50% of the passengers aboard Wednesday morning’s flight to Antalya were Arab Israelis who are taking advantage of the Easter vacation to travel to Turkey, while the rest are Israelis who rushed to book their vacations following the reconciliation between Ankara and Jerusalem.

A family of four pays an average of $2,000 for a four-day vacation at a five-star “all inclusive” resort in Antalya.

Ami Cohen, general manager of tour operator “Kavei Hofsha,” said that at this point Jewish Israelis are not snatching up plane tickets to Antalya, “but the real test will come after Pesach.”

Eyal Kashdan, CEO of the Flying Carpet travel agency, which organized Wednesday’s charter flight to Antalya, said, “We put the flight in the system Saturday night, and we received numerous phone calls on Sunday from people asking about prices. They also wanted to know whether it was safe to travel to Antalya and if the resorts really want to host Israelis. Dozens of people booked four and five-day vacations.”

via Dozens of Israelis travel to Turkey after reconciliation – Israel Travel, Ynetnews.

March 28, 2013
Israel Apology Boosts Turkey Tourism Stocks to Two-Month High

By Taylan Bilgic

Turkish tourism companies rose on expectations that Israeli tourist arrivals to Turkey will rebound after an apology by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Israeli army’s killing of nine Turks three years ago.

The Istanbul Stock Exchange’s tourism index gained 1.5 percent to 5978.07 at 4:15 p.m. in Istanbul, heading for its highest level in almost two months. The Istanbul Stock Exchange National 100 Index gained 0.4 percent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 22 apologized to Turkey for the deaths, which occured during a May 2010 raid by Israeli commandos on a Turkish aid ship headed for the Gaza Strip. The number of Israeli tourists visiting Turkey dropped to 83,740 in 2012 from 558,000 in 2008 as Turkey broke off diplomatic relations and tensions between the two countries increased after the raid, according to data on the Turkish statistics agency’s website.

“Today’s gains are related to developments regarding Israel, with investors expecting an increase in tourist arrivals,” Nalan Ozdemir, an analyst at Ekinciler Yatirim in Istanbul, said in a phone interview.

Izmir-based Altinyunus Cesme Turistik Tesisler AS (AYCES) gained as much as 14 percent, its biggest gain since February 2007. More than 372,000 shares changed hands, almost 11 times the stock’s three-month average daily volume. Marti Otel Isletmeleri AS (MARTI), an operator of resort hotels in Turkey’s southwest, rose 2.6 percent.

via Israel Apology Boosts Turkey Tourism Stocks to Two-Month High – Bloomberg.

March 27, 2013
Turkey gives up on Israeli tourists

The Turkish Culture & Tourism Office has not asked Israeli ad agencies to participate in this year’s tender.

3 September 12 18:20, Anat Bein

Turkey is giving up on Israeli tourists. Sources inform ”Globes” that the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office has deleted Israel from its list of countries for which it has budgeted ad campaigns, and that Israeli ad agencies were not invited to participate in the office’s latest tender. Until this year, Israel was part of the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office’s annual budget for the Middle East. In recent years, Israeli agency Inbar Merhav Nissan Advertising and Dubai’s Medium Rare Advertising LLC jointly managed the account.

A year ago, the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office e-mailed several Israeli ad agencies, inviting them to bid for its advertising budget, and said that its ad budget for Israel was $1 million. A spokesman for the office said at the time that it would maintain its ties with the Israeli market, and that it was a professional office that was not involved in politics.

In practice, however, no Israeli agency was chosen in the tender, and no advertising activity took place in Israel. It now seems that the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office has given up on any effort to attract Israeli tourists.

The Turkish Culture & Tourism Office in Israel told “Globes” today, “The office cannot include Israel in its tender because the office currently lacks a director, and without a director, it is not possible to send budgets. Until [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu apologizes, a new director will not be sent. Please wait patiently until diplomatic relations improve.”

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news – www.globes-online.com – on September 3, 2012

September 4, 2012
Esser Agaroth: Turkey To Israel: “We’re Happy To Take Your Money, But We’ll Criticize You Anyway.”

YNET: Turkey Calls On Israeli Tourists To Return

Speaking at Serbia Tourism Fair, deputy tourism minister says Antalia and Istanbul ‘miss’ Israeli tourism

Itamar Eichner, March 14, 2012

Turkish Deputy Minister of Tourism Ozgur Ozaslan expressed his hopes that return to Turkey. The government official spoke over the weekend with Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Yossef Levy.

“Antalia and Istanbul miss the Israeli tourists” said Ozaslan.

The two officials spoke during the opening event of the Serbian international tourism fair. The fair is hosting over 1000 presenters from 46 countries. This is the first time the Israel Ministry of Tourism is participating in the fair. Regardless, the guest of honor at the Serbian fair was Turkey – the most important destination for Serbian tourists. The opening event included a screening of a Turkish image video, and a traditional Ottoman dance.

During the fair, Deputy Minister Ozaslan met with the Israeli ambassador, and expressed his hopes for more cooperation between the countries in the future. “I hope the Israeli tourists will return to Turkey, we miss them,” said the deputy minister.

Ambassador Levy replied that as soon as the good relations between the countries will be restored, tourism will flourish. “Israel tourists will probably return to Turkey when they will feel welcome and liked. Unfortunately this is not the situation today,” he said.

Diplomat Levy was being VERY diplomatic, and WAY too nice, but was essentially correct.

Why should we even think about spending even one sheqqel in Turkey? (…or Jordan? …or Egypt?)

They’ve all got some hutzpah, expecting us to return to their country to throw our money around, while they continue to criticize Israel’s policy’s and actions toward defending itself. The Turks cannot even guarantee our safety while we are there!

My advice to Israelis is to visit your own country first. There is lots to see here, and that includes a historical and educational.

Never been to Hevron? Shiloh? Tzfath? Tiveria? Naharia? Mitzpeh Ramon? How about the Golan?

The multiple sites, festivals, climates, and attractions of Israel await you!

via Esser Agaroth: Turkey To Israel: “We’re Happy To Take Your Money, But We’ll Criticize You Anyway.”.

March 19, 2012