“It’s not your average holiday, but it’s cool to just be able to roam about a city with so few people in it and sit in the sunshine with a beer and a snack,” said Mandy Miller, a 26-year-old student from London, who traveled to Turkey for a week with her boyfriend without telling her family and friends. She also said that in her experience, most locals did not seem resentful of tourists, and seemed supportive of the government's actions. "The government actually doesn't care about COVID-19. He says that most tourists recently have been from Russia and Ukraine, where there used to be more Europeans and Americans. Salih Batkin, a local tour guide for 15 years, also told Insider that the weekend lockdown wasn't a great solution, but said she thinks it's better than doing nothing. December saw a record number of new cases, with over 30 times the average number of daily reported cases than in previous months. "At the beginning, I was a little fearful, but I decided that I would probably regret not taking this opportunity when it is available to me, hence I decided to just go for it," she told Insider, adding that she took every available precaution to stay safe. A man photographs Istanbul’s historic skyline from an almost empty passenger ferry. Istanbul, Ankara and other major Turkish cities locked down for two days from midnight on Friday to combat the spread of the coronavirus under an Interior Ministry order, as the country's death toll from the pandemic rose above 1,000. Answer 1 of 3: Hello everyone . “Accepting tourists without testing only makes the situation worse,” she continued. The city’s strict weekend curfew doesn’t apply to foreign visitors, who are free to roam the city, even as Turkey’s Covid-19 cases spike. Corona in der Türkei: Istanbuls Bürgermeister fleht um harten Lockdown Die Türkei meldet neue Corona-Negativrekorde. ISTANBUL — Every weekend, for over a month now, Istanbul has been under a strict curfew because of the coronavirus. [...] While it seems to many that I have taken unnecessary risk during such a period, I believe that my experiences have been worth it," she said. The New York Times reports that most museums stayed open for visitors. "People are not happy that the tourists are coming here because they're bringing lots more cases," he said, adding that Turkey is hurting economically, and desperately needs the income. Istanbuls Oberbürgermeister Ekrem Imamoglu fordert den totalen Lockdown. Read our community guidelines. Speaking after a cabinet … She added that since so much was closed during the lockdown, she didn't feel like tourists really enjoyed many special advantages. "It has to include everyone. Preview. She advised tourists to carry their passports with them, because of the frequent checkpoints she encountered. A weekend lockdown imposed in Istanbul means that locals must stay at home – but the rules don’t apply to tourists. Ask a question Recent Conversations. The country’s tourism sector is poised to shrink by 70 percent this year, bringing in 15 million visitors and more than $11 billion in revenue, a steep drop from the 45 million visitors and $35 billion in revenue in 2019, according to statistics from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Most museums, including the Topkapi and Dolmabahce palaces, stayed open for tourists over the weekend, and some restaurants in the old city of Sultanahmet secretly opened doors for visitors willing to eat inside. According to the World Travel & Tourism Council's annual Economic Impact Report, tourism in 2019 accounted for 9.4% of Turkey's workforce, and 11.3% of its economy. “I’m happy for tourists to visit my country, but when hospitals are full and people are dying, this is not an appropriate time to be adventurous,” said Tulin Polat, 26, who was laid off from her waitressing job because of the new lockdown measures. The majority of tourists currently visiting the city are young and adventurous, Mr. Uygur said, expressing concern that they might get restless with so many of the city’s attractions closed off. Despite an effort to salvage the industry with the creation this summer of a healthy tourism certification program, designed to ensure that travel and hospitality sectors met the government’s health and hygiene requirements, arrivals were down by 86 percent in July, compared to the same period in 2019. ", "Locals were upset," he added, "but can you blame them? She previously spent some time in London and Finland, where her boyfriend lives. “This year has been a complete write-off, especially for Istanbul,” said Cuneyt Uygur, a Turkish tour guide based in the city. “It is amazing to see all the exhibitions without any crowds. "Cases have been surging in Turkey for the past few weeks so the public health officials will need to keep a close eye on case counts and ensure good adherence to general mitigation, including by tourists," he told Insider. Written By. Get it now on Libro.fm using the button below. "The streets were quite empty and it could be a little scary to be out alone at night, especially as a solo female traveler," she said of the weekend lockdown, but added that the locals were friendly and she enjoyed visiting the Hagia Sophia with what she assumed was only a fraction of the usual crowds. The lockdown was monitored by police, according to the New York Times, who checked IDs to make sure locals, besides essential workers, stayed home. Istanbul Is Locking Down. It also doesn't apply to tourists. As much as he appreciates the government's attempt at keeping the tourism economy going, he thinks it's ill-advised. A traditional Turkish ice cream vendor, who is famous for his scooping tricks, put on a show, and a souvenir shop opened its doors for a group of women from West Africa looking to buy Turkish coffee and leather handbags. But Not if You’re a Tourist. Hotel restaurants were allowed to remain open, but only to hotel guests. It's not a new theory — as the AP reports, Turkey's government has been accused by the Turkish Medical Association of underreporting cases by only counting those positive cases that displayed symptoms, instead of all positive cases. On Saturday and Sunday plainclothes police officers patrolled the streets and police set up checkpoints across different districts to check the ID cards and passports of people traveling through, one by one. “You almost expect to get punished for traveling these days with all the shaming and ever-changing restrictions, but here we are with exclusive access to one of the most beautiful and enchanting cities of the world,” said Erin Lockhart, a 32-year-old British musician, as she played her guitar against the backdrop of the glistening Bosporus that stood as still as a pond in the absence of regular boat traffic. Anyone found breaking the lockdown was fined around 3,150 Turkish lira, or the equivalent of $400 at today's conversion rates. For many, the decision to travel to Turkey was triggered by lockdown fatigue. If you could please update me on the new Covid rules i heard turkey is going on lockdown... My flight arrives around 7. They just want people to just come here and spend some money," he said. The New York Times estimates that Turkey's tourism revenue in 2020 will be closer to $11 billion, a drop of $24 billion year-over-year. "Return to lockdown policies, even partial, is an indication that a country did not invest in the public health infrastructure needed to keep cases to a manageable level," Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar with a focus on emerging infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, told Insider. These tourists, according to him, are not spending much money when in town because they've made the most of cheap hotel and flight packages. Bagrta and Denis Kalachinov, visitors from Moscow, took in the view from the Galata Tower. Residents of Turkey’s liveliest and most populous city were ordered to stay at home this past weekend as part of a strict curfew, issued by the government last week to curb a dangerous resurgence of the coronavirus. While the US Embassy and Consulates in Turkey said that while tourists are checked for symptoms on arrival, and must self-isolate if suspected of having COVID-19, Turkey does not require negative coronavirus test results, nor does it make quarantine mandatory. "Especially in my case, I had a guide and he couldn't take me to many parts of the city. While some Turks welcomed the two-tier curfew system, saying it was good for the economy, others felt it was inappropriate for tourists to be gallivanting around the city while locals bear the brunt of a grueling second wave of the virus. However, soon after news of the move emerged, many people left their homes to buy food and drink in the country’s commercial hub Istanbul, a city of 16 million people. They just want more money," he told Insider, adding that the more Turkey struggles financially the more reckless the government is getting. Travel industry workers were trying to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the curfew exemption for tourists. All forums . Watch our update from Istanbul where we are hanging out due to the current situation around the world. reporting over 30,000 new infections a day, the US Embassy and Consulates in Turkey said, Data from Turkey's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. They, like the other tourists encountered on the city’s streets over the weekend, hadn’t known before they arrived that they would be free to wander the city. “It should be this free and relaxed everywhere. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, at the time of writing, Turkey saw over 1.8 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus and over 16,400 deaths. London is so depressing,” she added. And people are not making money from these tourists," he said. Turkey reopened its borders to visitors — including US citizens — back in June. Von Tomas Avenarius, Istanbul Nachdem die türkische Regierung am Freitag völlig überraschend einen Lockdown für 31 Großstädte und Provinzen erlassen hat, hagelt es … A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. April, a 27-year-old financial analyst, spent three days in Istanbul on her way home to Singapore. Foreign tourists posed against the backdrop of the Ortakoy Mosque as the Turkish police stood guard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health screening and temperature checks are carried out at airports and anybody found to have Covid-19 symptoms is taken to a medical facility for testing. Dr. Preeti Malani, chief health officer and professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the University of Michigan, told Insider he suspects the current lockdown policies are an attempt to keep Turkey's tourism industry afloat. For most visitors, the call to prayer, which echoes through the city five times a day, is likely indistinguishable from the somber funeral prayers that are broadcast all too often as the pandemic has raged in recent weeks. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) says Ankara must enforce a complete lockdown on the city, saying there are still too many people on the streets. Die Türkei verzeichnet einen der allerhöchsten Corona-Inzidenzwerte weltweit. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/08/travel/istanbul-tourists-curfew.html ISTANBUL: Turkey’s president has announced a four-day lockdown starting New Year’s Eve to curb the spread of COVID-19. Further, most places aren't open during the lockdown, so even if they wanted to spend money, they couldn't. They can roam Istanbul, the country's largest city, freely. Istanbul’s population fell in 2020 – the first decline in at least two decades – as lockdowns shuttered Turkey’s capital. Citizens will not be allowed to leave home between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays or at all at weekends, Erdogan said. She also said it's important to try and keep the struggling tourism sector afloat. Semih, another local guide of 12 years, echoes this. "As to whether my decision is worth it, I personally believe that life is all about weighing the risks and making the appropriate choices. "Honestly, it doesn't make sense," he said of the partial lockdown. Under the nationwide restrictions, which will likely continue into the coming weeks, nobody was allowed to venture outside between 9 p.m. on Friday and 5 a.m. on Monday, with fines for those who broke the rules. “Life is too short to stay at home for another year,” said Ana Nicolas, a 53-year-old Spanish tourist, who was visiting from Madrid, which is under a nationwide curfew and state of emergency scheduled to last until early May 2021. “We felt like animals locked in a cage for too long and we wanted to escape and see a new place with different energy and culture.”. Subscriber Turkey does not require tourists to quarantine or show negative test results, however. But few tourists voiced concerns about the risks posed by the pandemic. Confinement in Istanbul … pandemic, lockdown, istanbul, coronavirus, covid-19, medicine, doctors. Insider spoke to a few locals about the partial lockdown. It depends on how satisfied they are when they return home.”. Many historic landmarks and once bustling locations were completely empty as a result of the lockdown. Istanbul forums . On Sunday, foreign tourists visited Istanbul's Topkapi Palace, while Turkish residents were prohibited from going out because of growing numbers of cases of Covid-19.
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