The explosion on Tehran-Ankara railroad two weeks ago, which led to the suspension of all scheduled trips until further notice, could adversely impact Turkish tourism, experts suggest.
Even if the trips are resumed, such incidents will impact the number of train journeys from Iran to Turkey, said the head of the Association of Air Transport and Tourist Agencies of Iran, Mohammad Hassan Kermani, according to Mehr News Agency.
“The train incident, combined with the region’s political unrest, would create a sense of insecurity among travelers,” he said.
Kermani pointed to assessments made by association members over the decline in Iranian tourists visiting Turkey and noted that suggestions have been made to replace Turkey with other destinations.
“The popularity of Turkey as a holiday destination among Iranian tourists, however, is a result of several factors and has taken shape gradually over time. The variety of services and facilities cannot be replaced easily,” Kermani said.
With the current political situation in Turkey and its involvement in regional conflicts, it seems likely that the Turkish government may soon introduce new regulations to maintain safety and security of foreign tourists. Failing to do so will definitely lead to a drop in demand to travel to Turkey among Iranians, and most probably in other nationals as well. Iranians and Russians make up the bulk of foreign tourists in Turkey.
A remote-controlled mine was detonated on the rail line east of Turkey on July 30, causing damage to a train traveling from Ankara to Tehran. The train continued on its journey toward Van Lake after the damaged car was separated.
All 180 passengers, who were moved to an Iranian train in Van station, arrived in Tehran shortly after. No injuries or casualties were reported.
The trans-Asian service was traveling from Genc in Turkey’s eastern Igdir province.
