Published on : Monday, May 27, 2019
Turkish Airlines (THY) is ready to do its bit to boost tourism to Palestine as per an official statement on Saturday. Palestinian Tourism Minister Rola Maayia and Turkish Airlines’ Vice President for sales in the Middle East Muhammed Fatih Durmaz held a meeting in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, said the ministry.
During the meeting, Durmaz said the airliner is ready for cooperation that would facilitate bringing more tourists to Palestine. Maayia highlighted the strong relationship between Palestine and Turkey.
According to Palestinian Tourism Ministry data, more than 130,000 Turkish citizens visited Palestine last year. The country welcomed over 3 million tourists in 2018.
There is no operating airport in Palestine at present.
In 2018, Turkish Airlines ferried 75.2 million passengers. The total number of passengers the company flew was up 10 per cent year-on-year in 2018. The figures were higher than the expected 74 million passengers in 2018.
THY said the total number of passengers carried this year is targeted at 80 million, including 33 million on domestic and 47 million on international flights.
Partnerships with airlines such as this, will help Palestine to increase tourists’ footfalls to its land. It could open doors to more such partnerships with other carriers.
Tags: palestine, Turkish Airlines