Travel Turkey: Reaction from tour operators to armed incidents in famous tourism center
Çeşme and Alaçatı, renowned tourism destinations in Turkey, have recently experienced incidents of armed violence resulting in deaths and injuries, which has elicited strong reactions from local tourism stakeholders. Regarding the issue, the President of Çeşme Association of Hoteliers (ÇEŞTOB) stated, “These isolated incidents have deeply saddened all of us who live, invest, and vacation in Çeşme, and they have tarnished the tourism appeal of the town.”
Two separate incidents of armed attacks targeting entertainment venues occurred in İzmir Çeşme and Alaçatı within a week, leading to the death of one person and sparking discussions. The local tourism representatives expressed their dismay at these events. The President of ÇEŞTOB, issued a statement condemning the armed incidents.
He said, “These isolated incidents have deeply saddened all of us who live, invest, and vacation in Çeşme, and they have tarnished the tourism appeal of Çeşme. We condemn the sporadic armed incidents in Çeşme.”
“STRICT CONTROL TO ESTABLISH NEW VENUES ARE NECESSARY”
“We earnestly desire and insist that individuals with a history of violence should not be allowed to come in any form, invest, vacation, or open venues in this beautiful town that serves Turkish and even global tourism with its crystal-clear sea, clean air, famous beaches, vibrant streets of Alaçatı, and numerous other assets and beauties. We strongly request that the authorities prevent such occurrences.”
“We trust and believe in our state’s police, gendarmerie, and all judicial and administrative bodies in this matter. We have no doubt that these institutions will effectively work to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.”
