Turkey holiday optimism as nation ‘cleans up data’ – ‘Their time is about to come’
Travel expert says that rule changes can be ‘daunting’
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Turkey has blossomed into a holiday haven for Britons seeking soaring temperatures and stunning beaches. In 2019, before the pandemic took its hold, approximately 2.29 million trips were made from the UK to Turkey, up from 1.75 million the year before.
This received something of a boost in the summer of 2020 when the nation found its way onto the green list, while some popular European haunts found themselves slapped with quarantine rules.
However, since autumn, Britons have been unable to visit Turkey after the nation was swiftly moved to the red list amid concerns over coronavirus rates, data and variants.
According to Paul Charles, CEO of the PC Agency, things could soon be looking up for holidaymakers itching for a Turkish break.
Mr Charles showed hope that the nation could turn amber as soon as July 15.
“It seems like an alternative to the chaos of Europe at the moment,” said Mr Charles on his weekly Travel Radio show alongside travel expert Simon Calder.
“I know they are meeting the Joint Biosecurity Centre weekly at the moment to go through the data.
“I think they’ve cleaned up the data.
“I think they’ve vaccinated something like 80 to 90 percent of their tourism employees and workers in hotels and attractions.
“I understand that they also are starting to see infections come down dramatically because they’ve closed borders to India and Pakistan and areas of red concern if you like.”
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As a result, Mr Charles believes Britons could be able to return to the nation in the coming months.
“I think their time is about to come actually,” he said.
The experts suggest it is most likely Turkey would move from the red list to the amber list, rather than being listed as green.
However, politicians are currently in talks over whether or not to allow vaccinated Britons to travel without the need for quarantine.
“If that were to happen and you were to get the double-jabbed people able to come in from amber countries without having to quarantine then effectively Turkey would be back on the green list which would be wonderful,” explained Simon Calder.
However, he pointed out some implications this could have for families looking to get away.
“We still don’t know, even if the double-jab thing does come in what that will mean for kids,” he said.
“What sort of testing regime will they have to go through?
“Generally the rule in Europe is parents if you’ve been jabbed you can bring your kids in and either we will probably make them test and then under-fives probably won’t have to but that is going to add cost and inconvenience.”
According to the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), as of July 1, in the previous 14 days, Turkey recorded 78,580 new cases.
By comparison, during the same period, the UK recorded 159,015 new cases.
At the time of writing, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is advising against “non-essential travel” to Turkey.
UK citizens and residents travelling from Turkey to England face a mandatory period of hotel quarantine.
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