Risk & Crisis Management in Tourism Sector:
Recovery from Crisis
in the OIC Member Countries
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 Though most international arrivals to Turkey come for sun/beach holidays, in recent
years the country has become also known for cultural tourism, health tourism and spas,
golf and other sports tourism, marine activities, and development of the MICE sector.
 Competitiveness in terms of variety of attractions, quality of products and services and
value-for-money.
 Proximity to the main source markets of Europe, Middle East and North Africa and
accessibility via good connections with most source markets, partly as a result of
government investment in the national airline Turkish Airlines; this again is part of the
prioritisation of the tourism industry.
 Similarly, the government and private sector have invested in creating better port
facilities for cruise ships. Cruise Line International Association – CLIA (2017) research
reports that the cruise industry is on the rise with the use of new types of cruise ships.
The project of building 13 city ports in cooperation with Greek cruise ports will facilitate
growth in this sector and build on an already significant market: in 2011 Turkey
received 2.2 million cruise passengers.
 In recent years, because of political and social developments in the MENA region
including the developments from 2010, many Western countries have applied extra
restrictions on visas to citizens of countries in the region. This means that Turkey is well
placed to attract tourists from Middle Eastern and North African states because of its
Islamic culture, excellent halal food and affordable prices. It has encouraged the Islamic
market by abolishing visas for people from some countries, while easing the process by
allowing online applications for others.
 Turkey is a good business centre in terms of textiles and clothing for Muslim culture,
with competitive prices. Visitors from MENA countries mostly stay in big cities
especially Istanbul, where shopping is plentiful. They stay in hotels for short periods but
for longer stays they normally get private flats and private accommodations, in
proximity to shopping areas.
4.2.5. Weaknesses and Threats to Turkish Tourism
 The principal threat to tourism in Turkey is the image of insecurity, which caused a
significant decline in the number of international arrivals in 2016 and which may extend
to 2017.
 A longer-term risk is the emphasis until recently on mass tourism, which has resulted in
intensively used beach resorts. The rapid and intensive construction of hotels has had
environmental impacts on the beaches, other coastal areas, agricultural land and forests;
the presence of large numbers of visitors also has social impacts on local communities
(Kuvan and Akan, 2012). This may undermine the success of tourism in Turkey unless
environmental management regulations are adhered to and product diversification is
successfully achieved.
 A further weakness is that while tourism in coastal areas benefits the country's
economy, it does not reduce inequality between regions (Tosun et al, 2003).