Turkey : Cheapest Holiday Country

An article published in the Belgian "La Libre Belqiue" newspaper of Belgium on March 11, 1996, noted that Turkey was the most suitable and cheapest country for holidays in the Mediterranean region.

According to a statement by the Tourism Ministry, in the said article, where the cost of a 1996 summer holiday was examined Belgian tour operators compared the prices of holiday programs in the Mediterranean countries.

The article also evaluated opportunities for holidays in such countries as Morocco, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Egypt and Turkey, and noted that prices in Turkey had increased by 2.8 % compared with last year.

Stating that there was a considerable decrease in 1996 prices due to the bad season in 1995 in touristic regions like Morocco, Italy and Crete, the article pointed out that in countries where 1995 had been a good season, there was a remarkable increase in prices.

The article noted that even though there was a 2.8 % increase in prices, Turkey was still the cheapest country for a holiday.

According to the article, while a 15-day holiday costs over 30,000 Belgium Francs (BF) according to Belgian market rates, it costs 26,608 BF in Turkey despite the increase. According to these figures, holiday prices in Turkey in 1996 will be 20 % under the average price of all the other countries. The article stressed that apart from the media and professional circles, potential tourists also appreciated that Turkey was the most ideal country for holidays in the Mediterranean region especially in connection with the quality-price ratio.

Turkey in the German press Just as there are positive signals that there will be a tourism boom in Turkey this year, so news about "Tourism in Turkey" covers a vast space in the German press.

The German "Die Welt" daily newspaper devoted pages to yachting tourism in the Aegean and Mediterranean in its 8 March issue. The news was about a yacht tour which stretched from Marmaris to Antalya and included 23 Germans, aged between 20 and 50. Those on the tour said: "You can leave your yacht in marinas which are very secure. Meanwhile, you can walk around the natural and historical riches of Turkey".