Turkish Tourism Faces Prospect of Another Troubled Year
A man waits for customers at a tour shop offering PCR tests during a three week nationwide coronavirus lockdown in Istanbul, May. 5
Photographer: Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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A recent drop in coronavirus cases may not be enough to lure tourists back to Turkey’s shores, darkening prospects for the nation’s current-account balance and the battered lira.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a partial lockdown last month until May 17 in an effort to salvage the tourism season and the flow of hard currencies it brings. While daily new cases are down about 75% from a mid-April high to about 15,000, the drop may have come too late, with Russia suspending flights to Turkey until June and U.K. adding the nation to its travel red list.