As India is set to become one of the top ten tourism markets for Turkey, the middle-eastern country has changed its group visa norms exclusively for Indians. Turkey’s consul general in Mumbai Mustafa Kemalettin Eruygur spoke to The Free Press Journal’s Dhairya Gajara.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. What is the current status of growth of Turkish tourism?
A. The Covid-19 lockdown had a devastating effect across the globe but last year it came to the pre-Covid levels. We are one of the early recovering countries. Last year we had 62 million tourists coming to visit the country and gained a revenue of USD61 billion. This spectacular year saw a tourism growth of 8.5% to 9% making us one of the top countries in the industry.
Q. What are the major tourist attractions Turkey is planning to offer to new tourists?
A. Sun and sand has been the major attraction for tourists but Turkey is also a historically rich country. Tourists can find a historic monument at every five kilometers of their travel. We have skiing as a major tourist attraction. Moreover, we are also focusing on health and MICE tourism in the country. Wedding tourism has a big demand for Indians so we are also working in that direction.
Q. What is the status of India as a tourism market for Turkey?
A. In the last couple of years, Indian tourists have kept growing in Turkey. Out of the 62 million tourists that visited in 2024, around 3.36 lakh were Indian tourists. The figure has significantly went up from 2.70 lakh Indian tourists in its previous year. Therefore, we have high expectations and scope of growth in India.
Q. What are the steps taken to attract more Indian tourists to Turkey?
A. Indian tourists with US or Schengen visa do not require a seperate visa to visit Turkey. Moreover, we have relaxed our group visa policy for Indians. Earlier, group visas were to be applied 15 working days prior of visit but now it has been reduced to only seven working days. Earlier, group visas coming in less than four days were immediately rejected but now we are trying to approve them even in less than four days, depending on the embassy’s schedule.
Q. Are there any plans to increase flight connectivity between India and Turkey?
A. Currently, Istanbul is the only destination which is connected to Indian cities by air travel. Turkish Airlines is ready to increase the flight frequency and the number of destinations in India that connect Turkey. If flights from Indian cities connect with new destinations in Turkey, it would help tourists easily reach cities they want to explore other than Istanbul.
Q. How is Turkey planning to attract more tourists from India and across the globe in the upcoming years?
A. Turkey has everything to offer tourists. However, we need better connectivity and involvement of various tourism agencies of other countries to grow tourism and we are working to collaborate with all of them. I have seen that there is a big interest in Mumbai that I have seen and what I see is very promising. The recent destination promotion roadshow in Mumbai also saw an outstanding response from tour agents.
Q. Turkey’s deputy minister of tourism had recently said that 8,000 tourism facilities are illegally operated. How are we ensuring tourists do not get scammed by these illegal facilities?
A. I don’t think any hotel or restaurant can operate illegally in Turkey. I am not aware about the minister’s statement but tourists are advised to opt for trusted facilities where they won’t face any problem.
Q. More than 150 people have reportedly died in Turkey after consuming spurious liquor, how are we ensuring the safety of tourists in such cases?
A. Whenever such cases happen, we make sure that we investigate them. However, such cases do not happen at tourist sites. If people visit recognised tourist places, they won’t face such problems.
