The effects of the Russia-Ukraine war on tourism continue. Sector representatives state that the war will not end in the near future, and the post-war recovery will take time. There is hope for a return to old figures in Turkey's important source markets, but uncertainty is still on the agenda.

The Russia-Ukraine war, which has been going on since 2022, continues to create uncertainty in the tourism sector. Sector representatives, who are closely following the developments in Russia and Ukraine, which are among Turkey's largest tourism source markets, evaluated the possible effects of the war and their predictions for the near future to GM.

Veteran Tourism Professional Salih Çene, Innvista Hotels Belek General Manager Erdoğan Turan, Tourism, Brand and Investment Consultant Volkan Şimşek, Experienced Tourism Professional İbrahim Gezer, POYD President Hakan Saatçioğlu, Experienced names of the sector Gürsel Güneş, Alarcha Hotels General Manager Mehmet Eslek, Experienced Tourism Professional Bülent Ağgül, Turquoise Hotel General Manager Hakan Duran, Radisson Blu Kaş General Manager Ümit Tibukoğlu and Cactus Hotels Operations Manager Hayrettin Tiftik spoke to GM microphones.

"It will take time to return to the old level in tourism"

Alarcha Hotels General Manager Mehmet Eslek:

"If the war ends, the flow of tourists will not start immediately. I do not see a sign in the near future either, because such situations are shaped by political strategic moves in the world."

"Economic effects are permanent, war psychology continues"

Experienced Tourism Professional Bülent Ağgül:

"I do not believe that Russia will take a step towards a solution. If the war continues, the effects on the number of Russian tourists coming to Turkey will continue, and it will take time to reach the old levels. Economic effects and war psychology keep the contribution to tourism at a low level."

"There may be a solution in the summer months"

Veteran Tourism Professional Salih Çene:

"There is a high probability that the war will end. Looking at Trump's approach, there is no reason for it not to end. I think this problem will be solved within the summer months. The impact of peace on us will be positive for the region. Ukrainians and Russians settled here and revitalized the market. With peace, tourism can become more active."

"Psychological recovery will take time"

Innvista Hotels Belek General Manager Erdoğan Turan:

"It is very difficult to give a clear answer to this question. We all want peace, and sometimes unexpected events can happen after peace agreements. The end of the war will affect people's psychology. However, the flow of tourism will not start suddenly. Economic recovery and psychological recovery take time. It takes time to reach the potential of the old Ukrainian market."

"A strategic war will not end soon"

Experienced names of the sector Gürsel Güneş:

"Such wars are related to the strategies between countries. If it was going to end, it would have been resolved a long time ago. It is not possible to end it in a short time. I believe that tourism will develop if the potential in the sector is managed correctly. However, if the strategies are followed correctly, the future of the sector will be bright."

"Even if it is resolved, recovery will take years"

Turquoise Hotel General Manager Hakan Duran:

"I do not expect the war to be resolved in the near future, and even if it is resolved, it is not possible for people to travel immediately. I do not think that the war will be resolved in the near future. Even if it is resolved, it will not be possible for people to travel immediately. This process will take a few years."

"The war is based on very deep reasons"

Tourism, Brand and Investment Consultant Volkan Şimşek:

"I do not think that the Russia-Ukraine war will end anytime soon because this war is based on very deep reasons and we do not hear most of the negotiations going on behind the scenes."

"Ukrainians may not be able to move"

Radisson Blu Kaş General Manager Ümit Tibukoğlu:

"I do not expect the Ukraine-Russia War to end in the short term. I do not expect the war to end in the short term. If the war ends, Russian tourists will continue to come, but it does not seem that Ukrainian guests will be able to move much in the post-war period."

"If the war ends, we can see a 40% increase"

Experienced Tourism Professional İbrahim Gezer:

"The Russian market is very important for us. Since the late 90s, this market has had an important place. The continuation of the war is a big problem for us. Russians are a market that knows the quality of Turkish tourism very well and they prefer Turkish tourism very much. If the war ends, I think there will be a significant increase in the number of tourists coming to Turkey. This means at least a 40% increase in tourism."

"There is great potential in both markets"

POYD President Hakan Saatçioğlu:

"It is an advantage for us even to talk about the war ending right now. In the past, we hosted 1,250,000 Ukrainian guests, last year this figure was 300,000. The Russian market is also very important. We once hosted 5,500,000 tourists, last year this figure was 3,900,000. I think there is great potential in both markets. With the end of the war, it will be possible for us to return to the old figures in these markets."

"It didn't affect us much"

Hayrettin Tiftik, Operating Manager of Cactus Hotels:

"The Ukraine-Russia war has been going on since last year, but it hasn't affected us much."

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