Turkey to Introduce Tourist Security Tax from 2019

Turkish media reports that from January 1, 2019, tourists visiting Turkey will be charged security tax €1.5 at the airports.

Initially, it was supposed to introduce a tax of €3 per person, the media reported. However, the Association of Travel Agencies of Turkey TURSAB appealed to the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy with a proposal to reduce the fee, because millions of tourists have already paid for their vacations in Turkey in 2019. After negotiations with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, it was decided to reduce the fee to €1.5 per person.

“Tour packages for 2019 are sold for three months, starting in October, excluding the new tax. They were bought by millions of foreign tourists. Three euros might seem a small amount, but if this expense will be imposed on tour operators, they will have to pay millions of euros,” said the head of the TURSAB Firuz Balika.

By Thea Morrison