RIYADH: Saudi tourists traveling to Turkiye can avail of visa-free entry thanks to the transcontinental nation’s efforts to encourage tourism.
According to the Turkish Official Gazette, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decision on Friday granting citizens of Saudi Arabia, the US, Canada, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman with ordinary passports a visa exemption.
The policy allows citizens of these nations to visit Turkiye for tourism without obtaining a visa in advance. They are allowed a stay of up to 90 days within six months.
The move comes less than two months after Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism announced that it has expanded access to its electronic tourist visa to nationals from six new countries, including Turkiye, taking the total to 63.
Nationals of these countries can request the tourist visa online or upon arrival at one of the Kingdom’s international airports.
Holders of the tourist visa can visit Saudi Arabia for tourism purposes or to perform Umrah outside the Hajj season. They can also travel to the country to see friends and relatives and attend events, exhibitions, and conferences.
Speaking to Arab News in June, Fatih Ulusoy, Turkish ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said that his country is focusing “very much” on tourism.
“Last year, after the high-level visits between Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the Kingdom in April and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited Ankara in June, we had around 500,000 Saudi tourists visiting Turkiye in the second half, until the end of the year,” Ulusoy pointed out.
He added: “And this year, our target for Saudi tourists visiting Turkiye is at least 1 million. We are hoping to see Turkiye become the number one destination for Saudi tourists.”
It is noteworthy that Turkiye’s tourism income increased by 13.1 percent in the third quarter of 2023, reaching more than $20 billion, with 16.5 percent of tourism income obtained from its citizens resident abroad.
Expenditure by Turkish citizens residing in Turkiye and traveling abroad for tourism purposes increased by 74.8 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year, reaching $1.9 billion.
