Turkey witnesses Brit tourism boom

27/08/2009

Turkey is experiencing a boom in tourism as many Brits decide to take their August holiday there, it has been revealed.

According to figures from online travel agent On The Beach, August flights to Dalaman and Bodrum are up 31 and 27 per cent respectively, compared with 2008 figures.

Other popular non-euro destinations include Sharm El Sheikh, which has seen a rise in visitors of 21 per cent over the same period.

Simon Cooper, chief executive at On the Beach, commented: "While many destinations are finding August a relatively slow month, other non-Euro destinations are reaping the benefits.

"We expect September to be a good time to book a last minute holiday."

In related news, low-cost airline Jet2 announced yesterday (August 26th) it will begin new flights to Dalaman, Crete, Gran Canaria, Sharm El Sheikh and Paphos from Newcastle Airport.

The flights will begin in April and May 2010 and are expected to create an extra 100,000 seats on summer flights from Newcastle.