Amidst the festive season and the eagerly awaited Christmas break, the residents of Oman are enthusiastically planning their holiday getaways to embrace the spirit of celebration and welcome the New Year.
However, a cloud of concern hangs over the excitement, particularly for those considering Turkiye as their preferred destination.
For a considerable time, Turkiye has been a sought-after attraction for Omani residents looking for a memorable holiday experience. Unfortunately, recent changes in visa regulations have cast a shadow over these aspirations. Travelers intending to explore the beauty of Turkiye are facing an unexpected obstacle: the imposition of high visa fees.
For those who do not qualify for the convenient online visa application, the process requires a physical submission at the Turkish Visa Centre in Al Khuwair. The shock sets in when confronted with the price tag: a staggering OMR76 per person for a single-entry visa.
This revelation has led many potential travelers, such as R. Banerjee, a senior marketing executive with dreams of a winter vacation for his family of four, to reconsider their plans. The prospect of spending OMR304 solely on visas is a daunting deterrent.
“It’s disheartening to shell out OMR76 for each entry visa,” lamented Banerjee. “Turkiye has always been an enticing tourist destination, and I had envisioned spending Christmas and New Year in Istanbul. The unexpectedly high visa fees have shattered these plans. Such steep costs don’t bode well for promoting tourism.”
This sentiment is shared by travelers like Mohammed Ashfaq, who recently returned from a captivating week in Istanbul. “Turkiye truly shines as a tourist hotspot, especially this time of the year,” he remarked. “However, the steep visa fees, particularly for families, are prohibitive. While my company covered my expenses, taking my family on a similar trip seems implausible due to the high costs.”
Ashfaq’s sentiment highlights a broader concern: the stifling effect of these fees on tourism promotion in Turkey. Even tour operators acknowledge the hindrance posed by these exorbitant visa fees in positioning Turkiye as an attractive destination, with a senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirming the impact.
A leading Muscat-based travel operator pointed out the marked decline in bookings for Turkiye since the alterations in visa fee structures earlier in the year.
This shift has notably affected Indian expats due to the intricate and expensive process of obtaining visas for those without specific other visas, dampening enthusiasm for tours to Istanbul.
Further exacerbating the issue are concerns echoed by hotel operators in Istanbul.
They fear that these high visa fees send the wrong message about Turkiye, a country boasting world-renowned landmarks like the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. This sentiment reflects a growing consensus: the steep visa costs act as a substantial barrier to promoting Turkiye as a tourist-friendly haven.
In the face of these challenges, stakeholders—be it travelers, airline officials, or hotel operators—unanimously agree: the exorbitant visa fees pose a formidable obstacle to positioning Turkiye as an accessible and inviting destination, potentially dimming the allure of its tourism industry, especially during festive seasons.