British tourists flock to sunny Turkish resorts

MUGLA, Turkey

Some 10 planes carrying nearly 1,500 British tourists have arrived in Turkey’s southwestern Mugla province since the UK removed Turkey from its COVID-19 travel red list, an official said on Friday.

Starting Wednesday, Britons are traveling to Turkey without compulsory hotel quarantine upon return, a move which eases travel and tourism between the two countries.

Mugla is one of the most preferred holiday centers for British tourists. More than a million British citizens spend their holidays in Mugla's favorite tourism resorts Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and surrounding areas every year.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Dalaman Airport official Hamdi Guvenc said Mugla hosts most tourists from the UK, Russia and Ukraine.

"When we look at the pre-pandemic period, an average of 90,000 tourists from the UK visited Turkey in October. This figure is nearly 60,000 for now, but reservations still continue. We believe that we can reach pre-pandemic numbers again,” Guvenc said.

As many as 1,000 people booked for holidays in Mugla over the past two days, he added.

“We have been to there several times before. With the resumption of flights, we came for a holiday with our child. We love Turkey and longed for Mugla during the pandemic,” British citizen Peters Steven, who is accompanying his wife, told Anadolu Agency.

Turkish authorities implement strict measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in planes, airports and hotels to ensure tourists have a healthy and secure holiday.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara