LEADING travel companies in Britain said yesterday that it was business as usual in Turkey despite five blasts in the past 24 hours that have left three people dead.
Tourism is one of the country’s biggest industries with increasing numbers of Britons holidaying in the many resorts along its western and southern coastlines.
Travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) was unchanged, although it advised that tourist areas were under a high threat from terrorism. It also gave warning that travellers should take out medical insurance before visiting.
The Federation of Tour Operators (FTO), which represents Britain’s 14 largest holiday firms, said that members with customers in Marmaris were keeping clients informed of advice from Britain as well as from local police and government authorities.
More than 14,000 Britons are on holiday in the resort. Five of the injured were travelling with the tour operator Thomas Cook.
Graham Lancaster, for the FTO, said that holidaymakers were continuing as normal and “only a handful” wished to return home early. Those who wanted to cancel their holiday would get no compensation, he said.
“It is a very heavy flying day and those flights have all taken off today as planned," said Mr Lancaster. “People aren’t requesting to come home and in the light of the latest FCO stance, normal booking conditions apply. A disinclination to travel won’t be permitted. None of the hotels in the resorts have been affected.”
Keith Betton, of the Association of British Travel Agents, said: “There was an impact on numbers of people booking for Turkey earlier this year when the bird flu scare occurred in January. “But there has been no noticeable downturn due to terrorism, it is becoming a feature that people are getting used to.
“Nervous people might be made more nervous by terrorist incidents, but most people recognise that there is terrorism at home and there is terrorism abroad, too.”
Antalya is a bigger resort, and up to 25,000 Britons may be in the area.
