11/08/2019 16:19

Ordered Turkey?

[IMG=20463-6206]TURSAB (Turkish Travel Agents Association) is collecting negative information about Turkish resorts published in the Russian mass media resources. This information appealing to assistance in gathering such data appeared on the professional travel portal www.tourdom.ru. The initiator of the discussion pointed out such programs on the Russian TV as ‘Holidays: come back alive’, publications about ‘awful’ services provided in 5* hotels, cases of kidnapping, accidents, bird flu in Turkey etc. According to the source, TURSAB plan to analyze the reasons for publications and TV programs that ‘affect the reputation of Turkish resorts’. It might result into a note to the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey. With the reference to Hurriet Akdeniz it was reported that considering the current flow of adverse publicity of Turkey in the Russian mass media the Ministry of Tourism is criticized in Turkey itself. Meanwhile, tour operators interviewed by a BANKO correspondent, are perplexed over the situation. ‘How can the Ministry of Tourism of one country influence mass media resources of another country?’, said Alexander Kolegov, General Director of Russian Travel Company (RTC). Anna Podgornaya, Sales Director of Pegas Touristic, agreed: ‘the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey copes well with its responsibilities. It will be more logical if the Russian Union of Travel Industry or other non-governmental organizations of the Russian Federation make a denial of the negative information. I believe, that an open letter specifying all the facts must be published, because at the moment there is an impression that attacks over mass-market destinations were ordered. I think it is right that the initiator of the discussion appealed for help of Russian travel companies as it is the problem not only of those who specialize on Turkey and Egypt, but travel industry in general’. Representatives of the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey in Moscow were unavailable for comments at the moment of the article preparation. BANKO will continue reporting on the development of events.