You're reading: Turkey terror attack may hit Ukrainian tourist boom

The news that suicide bombers struck Istanbul’s Atatürk airport Tuesday could undermine what was expected to be a bumper summer for the number of Ukrainian tourists visiting Turkey.

The country is the number one overseas destination for Ukrainians with more than 700,000 visiting last year alone, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Turkey’s tourism minister, Mahir Ünal, said at the Ukraine International Tourism and Travel Show in March that it was his country’s aim to lure more than one million tourists from Ukraine this year.

That aim could now be under threat after more than 40 people, including at least one Ukrainian, were killed in what is Turkey’s eighth major terrorist attack in a year.

Ukrainians tend to book travel at the last minute so Tuesday’s attack could have an immediate impact.

“We’ve had no cancellations yet, but most people book one or two weeks or a month in advance, so we don’t know how this impacts bookings for Turkey over the summer yet,” said Oksana Shablii, manager of tourism at a branch of the TUI travel agency in downtown Kyiv.

Turkey has become an attractive destination for Ukrainians because of its low prices. Flights and hotel rooms have become cheaper as other Europeans stay away because of terrorism and the diplomatic spat between Turkey and Russia.

The number of Russians visiting Turkey declined sharply after Turkey downed a Russian jet in its airspace in November 2015. Last May, more than 500,000 Russians visited Turkey, but that number fell to just 40,000 in May this year.

That all translates to cheaper vacation deals. Citing a source at the Turkish Touristic Hotel and Investors Association, the Hürriyet Daily News reported last week that hotel occupancy is down to 57 percent and room rates have fallen by 33 percent on last year.

The weak hryvnia limits the options for many Ukrainians wishing to travel abroad.

“The main reason (Ukrainians) go to Turkey is that it is cheap,” Shablii said. “But it also has lots of sun, nice hotels and infrastructure, and is good for families.”

Statistics suggest that Ukrainians are largely undeterred by the security threat. The numbers visiting Turkey have continued to increase, despite the spate of attacks. One such attack, a suicide bombing in Istanbul in January, deliberately targeted a group of tourists, mostly from Germany.

Kyiv-based languages teacher Taisiia Liubatska visited Istanbul two years ago, but says she would go back, “Despite all the terror acts, Istanbul remains a great city with huge history, I am still in love with it,” she said. “Ukrainians will keep visiting Turkey because the prices will go down and we do not need a visa.”

Liubatska is currently trying to secure a visa so she can vacation in Hungary this summer, but the process is proving a challenge.

“Visa requirements have always caused difficulties for us…you need to show the money you have on your bank account but our exchange rate is so unfair that it is almost impossible to save enough,” she said.

With the EU backtracking on its proposal to provide visa-free travel to Ukrainians, many may find that Turkey, despite its deteriorating security situation, will continue to be one of the few overseas destinations within easy reach for the foreseeable future.