The day after the secret meeting between Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, an obvious interest for Turkey in restoring relations with Israel has emerged: since the flotilla incident and the deterioration in relations between the two countries, Turkey has suffered economic damage estimated at $400 million as a result of Israelis canceling vacations there, according to a report on the website of leading Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet."
The newspaper found that, out of 150,000 vacations booked by Israelis in Turkey for the coming months, 100,000 had been canceled. A travel agent told the newspaper that its main business channel had been "completely cut", and that it was facing heavy losses.
The newspaper says Israeli tourists are considered high spenders in Turkey.
According to official statements, tourism to Israel has not been affected by the international outcry over the incident in which eight Turks and one US citizen of Turkish origin were killed when Israeli commandos intercepted a ship attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov stated yesterday that there was no decline in the number of incoming tourists to Israel last month, but rather a rise in comparison with the same period last year. Misezhnikov estimates that, if current trends continue, 3.5 million tourists will visit Israel in 2010.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on July 1, 2010
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