P.M. BRIEFING : Crisis Hurts Turkish Tourism
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ANKARA, Turkey — The country’s important tourism industry has been hit hard by the Persian Gulf crisis, with foreigners fearing war in the region canceling vacation reservations at a rate that could cost the industry as much as $1 billion this year.
Industry sources said today that projected income from tourism in 1990 of $3.5 billion could drop by nearly 30% because of the turmoil in the region.
They said since Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait, which prompted a huge Western military buildup in the region supported by air bases in Turkey, the overall turnover of tourists has slumped dramatically.
Only a few hotels along the border with Iraq reported they were full, enjoying a short-lived boom caused by the thousands of refugees, consular officials and journalists who have swarmed into the country.
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