Armenian tourists prefer Turkey's south, east

Armenian tourists prefer Turkey's south, east

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

YEREVAN - Hürriyet Daily News

Many Armenian tourists also visit the Ani ruins in eastern Turkey's Kars. Hürriyet photo

Ignoring the calls of their national press to boycott Turkey, many Armenians are choosing the Turkish Mediterranean coast for their summer vacations.

According to travel-agency figures, 50,000 Armenian tourists visited the southern Turkish province of Antalya in 2009 and such visitors are from the highest income bracket.

Narine Davityan, the manager of Tez Tour, believes the southern town of Bodrum, in Muğla province, will dethrone Antalya next year as an attraction for Armenian tourists. Adding that the tours Tez organizes to both locations would continue through October, Davityan told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review: “The prices are climbing depending on the season. Despite the price increase, there is not the slightest decline in demand.”

Tour prices vary between $500 and $2,000 according to the type and standards of hotel accommodation, and whether it is full-board or half-board.

Despite the closed borders and the crippled relationship between the two countries, Armenians’ demand for Turkey trips has also affected the aviation industry. In addition to regular weekly flights between Yerevan and Istanbul by Armavia Airlines (the national airliner of Armenia) and Atlas Jet, tour operators have recently begun flights between Antalya and Yerevan via Airbus 300 charter planes hired from Armavia Airlines.

The flights between Antalya and Yerevan occur twice a week, and, according to tour operators’ figures, demand is high. Statistically, the demand for tours to Turkey is followed by the demand for tours to Cairo and Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, as well as to Dubai.

According to figures by Davityan, Tez Tour has taken 7,000 Armenian tourists to Antalya: “We started our tours three years ago. Every year there is a 30 percent boost in demand, and this is really promising.”

Valer Muradyan, the manager of Nekevank Tour, confirmed the high demand for Turkey, adding that the company is taking Armenian tourists to Antalya twice a week. He said each tour operator has its own pricing policy, and the prices vary according to the type of accommodation and the standards of the hotels with which the operators contract. Muradyan said high agency’s prices range between $300 and $500, adding that tour operators in Armenia have already started making bookings for next year.

“We only have tours for Antalya, and there is a new demand for Bodrum. Perhaps we will include it in our program next year. Our tours will continue through October,” he said.

Cultural tourists prefer eastern Turkey

Although beach lovers prefer Antalya and Bodrum, not all Armenians are after sea and sun for their vacations. Those who look for culture and history instead favor Istanbul and eastern Turkey. Among the eastern provinces, the most preferred are Kars, where the ruins of the ancient Armenian city of Ani are located, and Van, famous for the Surp Harç Church on Lake Van’s Akdamar Island, which opens in September for one annual service.

Davityan said tour operators are doing their best to meet the demand by introducing new package programs. “Despite the closed borders, the tourism capacity is fascinating,” the Tez Tour manager said. “I cannot imagine how much it will prosper once the borders are opened again.”