Residents cancel trips to Turkey

Following the failed army coup in Turkey, several travel agencies confirmed that many families that had planned to visit Turkey during the holidays canceled their bookings, while many people who are already there wished to book flights back home.
Mohammed Yaser, manager of a private travel agency, said: “Although Turkey remains a popular destination for travelers from the Kingdom, due to major security concerns, we received cancellation orders from about seven or eight families in the last two days.
“As is, the recent attack at the Ataturk airport had already lowered demand for travel from Saudi Arabia to Turkey. We hope that things get back to normal, as Turkey is a most popular tourist destination that has so much to offer in terms of culture and nature.”
Talal Gharni had planned to travel to Turkey with his family the week before the attack, but the airport attack made him postpone the trip, which he rescheduled for this week.
Disappointed by Friday’s news, he decided to cancel the trip to Turkey till everything settles down. Noor S., a resident of Jeddah and a student in Istanbul, was expected to travel this Monday morning. 
“My father paid around SR8,000 for a business class ticket, and since rescheduling is difficult, I was ready to travel. But after receiving warnings from friends and family, I postponed my flight till next week, even though I’ll be missing many of my classes.”
Leading travel agents said that Turkey remains a favored destination for citizens and residents of Saudi Arabia.
“Despite the on and off incidents in Turkey, budget travelers are not canceling their plans; families that got their visas and tickets issued find it difficult to replace Turkey,” said Ali Haddad, a travel agent.
He added: “Most travelers are affected and had some initial anxieties due to the situation in Turkey, but they are trying to cope with the situation and to go ahead with their plans.”

Source: Arab News