Turkey has lifted the suspension of direct flights from the UK into Turkey. It was announced that no vaccination certificates will be required for international travellers entering the country. For the time being, only a negative PCR test result will need to be presented.
To further reassure visitors to Turkey, a priority vaccination program is already underway for employees at hotels and other tourist facilities for the forthcoming tourism season. 20,775,790 million vaccination doses have been administered in Turkey as of 22 April 2021.
As part of the continued fight against COVID-19 and to further enhance its position as one of the world’s safest destinations, Turkey is continuing to invest in ‘Safe Tourism Certification Program’, whereby certification is compulsory for accommodation facilities with 30 or more rooms. More than 8,000 facilities have been certified so far.
All hotels certified under the “Safe Tourism Certification Program” provide testing facilities for tourists so they can obtain test results, if needed, before departing Turkey for the UK or elsewhere. PCR tests cost approximately €30 (approx. £26) and are also available to be carried out at Turkey’s international airports.
In addition, tourists visiting Turkey are offered a special insurance package, from just €15 (approx. £12), which covers Covid-19 related expenses such as treatment, medication and emergency care costs that may be incurred if visitors are taken to a state-owned or private hospital during their stay in Turkey. The Covid-19 Accommodation Support Insurance also guarantees to cover any extra accommodation expenses that may be necessary during the trip, following the issuance of a medical report requiring them to be kept under supervision in a hotel.
Two and a half million British tourists visited Turkey in 2019, with visitors staying in popular areas including Istanbul, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir.
Airlines flying from the UK include Turkish Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, British Airways, EasyJet, Jet2, Tui, Sun Express. Freebird Airlines and Wizz Air have announced new routes this summer.