Regional focus can revive Turkish tourism amid COVID-19

Turkey will be able to revive tourism amid the coronavirus pandemic by destination management with a regional focus, according to a report on Monday.

Evaluating the COVID-19 impact on Turkey's resort cities of Antalya and Muğla, a report from Turkish Design Management Institute (TDMI) said the region will be able catch up with the 2019 tourism figures by 2023.

The virus is expected to decrease revenue of the global tourism industry by 34-80% this year, the report said, citing the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) data.

Antalya and Muğla are projected to post higher losses due to the "absolute dependence" on the operator and international air transport, the report underlined.

The region which attracted 18.8 million foreign visitors in 2019, will see a drop of 50% to 9.4 million this year, it said.

Commenting on the report Sadık Badak, the head of TDMI, said regional focus through local agencies could spark Turkey's tourism recovery.

Destination management can be sped up by employing agencies which have at least 15 years of local experience with tourism, the report added.

"The tourism revenues in the region have the potential to significantly increase through well-designed, planned, and central and local integrated studies.

"Efficiency in investment capital will be ensured with the 'Tourism Management Model in Basin Scale'," the report added.

The report said Turkey's southern regions could attract health tourists by promoting the city hospital in the southern province of Isparta.

Badak stressed that Antalya already attracts foreign tourists for organ and hair transplantation.

"While receiving health treatment, the patients and the persons accompanying will also enjoy the leisure activities in the Turkish Riviera," Badak said.