The tourism sector in North Cyprus has been dealt a heavy blow because of the decision to declare a state of emergency in Turkey, after the failed attempted coup on 15th July.
According to Turkish Cypriot daily Kibris Postasi, 80% of hotel reservations in the North and 50% of scheduled flights to the TRNC have been cancelled.
There has also been a remarkable drop in tourist numbers from Turkey, which makes up 70% of the TRNC market. The number of cancelled hotel reservations by European tourists has reached 10%.
The paper adds that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism has established a crisis management centre to deal with this situation, while, the Minister of Tourism Fikri Ataoglu paid an urgent visit to Turkey to meet officials. He is expected to make an announcement on his return.
In addition, speaking to Kibris Gazetesi, representatives of the hotelier’s union, travel agents and representatives of the aviation sector pointed to the seriousness of the crisis and stressed the need for urgent measures to be taken.
Kibris Gazetesi
