Rising prices in Turkey are driving more Turkish tourists to Greece, while fewer Greeks are travelling across the border for shopping trips, according to euronews.com
Although trade and tourism between the two countries have grown in recent years, the benefits are no longer evenly shared. Turkish visitors are increasingly choosing Greece for cheaper holidays, shopping and dining.
“Until about 10 years ago people were coming from Greece to Turkey to shop, mainly in Istanbul, Edirne and Keşan. Now, however, we see many more visitors from Turkey going to Greece because whatever they want to buy is cheaper there”, said Maria Dimou, who lives in Istanbul.
The number of Turks visiting Greece has tripled in the past four years, surpassing 1.5 million last year. Greeks visiting Turkey, however, have remained steady at just over 500,000 annually.
“Last month I went on holiday to Greece. I drove as far as Kavala and Thessaloniki and, to be honest, I really liked Greece. The food was delicious, the portions were generous and everything was cheap,” said Doruk, a computer engineer from Ankara.
The popularity of Greece has also boosted demand for visas, with the Greek consulate in Istanbul reportedly issuing around 1,300 visas daily.
Meanwhile, Greek visitors say Turkey has become too expensive.
“It is much cheaper to go to Greece, to eat in a taverna there, to drink ouzo or other drinks, stay the night and come back than it is to go to a similar taverna here in Istanbul,” Dimou explained.
Source: euronews.com
