Despite warming ties, Israelis cold to Turkey trips
Contrary to projections, poll shows most Israelis uninterested in hitting Bodrum beaches this summer
Ilan Ben Zion is an AFP reporter and a former news editor at The Times of Israel.
Despite signs of a thaw in ties with Ankara, the overwhelming majority of Israelis remain chilly about traveling to Turkey for their summer vacation, a poll found.
Out of just over 500 respondents, 83 percent said they have no intention of vacationing in Turkey over the summer, with nearly half citing the uncertainty of the future of Israel-Turkey relations as their reason. Two-thirds said they simply weren’t interested in Turkey as a destination, regardless of strained relations following the 2010 Mavi Marmara incident.
The Meida Shivuki C.I. survey’s findings ran contrary to projections by Israeli and Turkish travel companies who, following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s apology to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month, expected Israelis to flood back to Turkish resorts.
“After the apology, I think we’ll reach 500,000 [Israeli] tourists this year,” AFP quoted Timur Bayindir, president of the Association of Hotel Owners in Turkey, saying last month after the rapprochement was announced.
In 2008, just before relations between Ankara and Jerusalem began to sour, approximately 560,000 Israelis flocked to Turkey, particularly the beachside resorts of Antalya and Bodrum, according to Israeli tourism statistics.
Israeli tabloid Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israeli tourists were returning to Turkey days after Netanyahu told Erdogan Israel was sorry for any “operational errors” that led to the deaths of nine Turks aboard the Gaza-bound vessel. One flight to Anatolia was hastily booked the day after Netanyahu called Erdogan March 22 to apologize. Despite the early showing, however, the survey found that only .2% of the respondents — one person — had booked a ticket to Turkey.
Nonetheless, some travel agents in Israel are optimistic that the verdict is not yet in on Israelis flocking back to Turkish beaches.
“Most Israelis aren’t ordering vacations in July-August to Mediterranean destinations today, but rather a month in advance,” Walla Tours CEO Ariel Atias told Globes. “In addition, the more attractive prices have yet to be updated at travel agencies.”
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