Israelis returning to Turkey's clubs?
Travel agents say hundreds of families flocking to country due to alleged calm in diplomatic tensions between Jerusalem, Ankara
After two difficult years in the relations between the two countries, which led to a sharp drop in tourism from Israel to Turkey, reports have been surfacing recently about attempts for a reconciliation between the Turkish and Israeli prime ministers.
In addition, Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan is said to be working behind the scenes in a bid to secure the release of kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The positive atmosphere is also reflected in increased demands for vacations in Turkey.
According to the Turkish bureau of statistics, only 29,903 Israelis visited the country from January through May – a 59% drop compared to the first five months of 2010, which ended just before the deadly flotilla raid.
"We haven't given up on the Israeli public. We have a lot to offer to those wishing to vacation in Antalya," says Hassan Pratabji, manager of the Turkish Tourism Office in Tel Aviv. "We have published full-page ads with travel agents in newspapers, and our phones haven't stopped ringing.
"Israelis call and ask if it's safe to travel to Turkey. We explain to them that this is a new era, that we want to heal the relations. There are no problems in Turkey and we welcome the Israelis."
According to Pratabji, there is one daily flight to Turkey on weekdays and many flights on the weekend – most of them fully booked.
'This is what Israelis love'
As opposed to the winter tourism, when most passengers were either Israeli Arabs or Russian tourists arriving from Antalya to Israel for a one-day visit, the flights leaving now have quite a few Jewish passengers, and their number is growing.
"You can feel things are moving. There are many phone calls and many reservations," says Izi Madam, director of Easy Travel and the former chairman of the Travel Agents Association.
"The recent reports and the calm in statements between the countries are working. We are still far from the figures we had in the past, but we can definitely see that Israelis want to vacation in Antalya."
"It's not as hysterical as it was two years ago, but the statements made by the two countries' leaders affect the bookings. We see both couples and families. The 'all-inclusive' culture in Turkey is a culture you can't find anywhere else, and the Israelis – after a year and a half – just miss it," says Arnon Englander, CEO of the Holiday Lines company.
"The Turkish clubs, with everything they have to offer, are a product which has no competition," says Eyal Kashdan, CEO of the Flying Carpet agency.
He mentions the recent ease in political tension between the two countries too, adding that "trade relations and other relations between Israel and Turkey have blossomed in the past year, while tourism remained frozen. In the past few weeks it has begun sinking in.
"The demand is growing every week, with most reservations made by families. The 'all-inclusive' method, children's clubs, water parks, clean beaches, activity for the entire family and good food are a combination Israelis love."
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