Will Arab tourists keep visiting Istanbul after the Reina attack?

With European tourists increasingly scared away from Turkey over the past year, Arab visitors have been keeping the country's tourism industry going. But, after the devastating experiences of Arab tourists inside the Reina nightclub on New Year's Eve, this could be about to change

An old tram passes crowds of pedestrians walking along Istiklal Avenue on the European side of Istanbul on February 27, 2014. Kerim Okten/Bloomberg

ISTANBUL // When a gunman stormed the Reina nightclub on the banks of the Bosphorus and opened fire on more than 600 revellers welcoming the New Year, 21 of the 39 people killed were Arab nationals. And although the suspect has finally been arrested after more than two weeks, many business owners are wondering how much damage the enormous death toll of Arab tourists will do to Istanbul’s tourism industry.

“It has been a really terrible season, and it does feel like there are less Arabs tourists here,” says Mehmut, the owner of a cafe on one of the side streets off Istiklal Avenue, an area catering to Arab tourists with many signs in Arabic.

“I hope it feels this way because of the winter, and not because of what happened at the Reina.”

Over the past year, a string of terror attacks and increasing political instability in Istanbul has caused the city’s once thriving tourism industry to slow to a mere trickle. European – particularly German and Russian – tourists who once enjoyed the rich historical sites of Istanbul and the pristine beaches of the Aegean and the Mediterranean, have increasingly opted not to visit Turkey, instead flocking to beaches in Croatia and the Greek islands.

In the absence of European tourists, Arab tourists – largely from the Gulf states, but also from Lebanon, Egypt and North Africa – have been keeping Istanbul’s tourism industry going.

With plenty of natural beauty, religious tourism, and – most importantly – largely visa-free entry requirements, Istanbul and other cities in Turkey have remained popular holiday destinations tourists from the Middle East.

Tour guides say visitors from countries in the region that have faced their own share of political turmoil in recent years, are less concerned about the risks of instability than European visitors.

Tourists from the region, who do not enjoy the privilege of visa-free travel in many other countries, also have fewer options for holidays destinations. Once popular cities like Beirut have fallen out of favour for many Arab tourists dues to tensions in the region.

"In the summer they love the greenery, and the seaside, and in the winter they love the snow," Naim, a tour operator with a shop overlooking Taksim Square tells The National, discussing his Arab clientele. "Also, they love Recep Tayyip Erdogan," he adds, laughing.

Tour operators have duly responded to the shift in the market. Many have launched advertising campaigns solely targeted at Arab tourists which highlight “halal tourism” options across the country and luxury villas along the Bosphorus, reminiscent of those seen in the Turkish soap operas popular in the Arab world. The Saudi-based Arab Tourism Organisation is even pushing for a series of resorts modelled on traditional Arab villages throughout Turkey, taking advantage of natural resources such as thermal baths at Bursa and the uninterrupted coastline of Antalya.

Naim used to market bus tours of Istanbul’s historical sites to European visitors, but says that over the past year his own clientele has shifted from being made up of a mixture of European, Middle Eastern, and South-East Asian tourists to overwhelmingly Arab — mainly including visitors from Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

After the devastating experiences of Arab tourists inside the Reina Nightclub, however, this trend might be changing. In the week following the attack, the UAE became the first Arab country to issue a warning advising its citizens against travelling to Turkey. Although it remains to be seen whether or not Emiratis will heed this warning, flight bookings to Istanbul from Middle Eastern cities have decreased since the attack, according to analysis carried out by ForwardKeys, a Valencia-based firm tracking trends in global travel.

“It was a little bit scary to visit over New Year’s Eve,” admits Wael, a Lebanese national who visited Istanbul for the first time over the New Year celebrations. While he did not personally know anyone affected by the attack, the loss of three Lebanese citizens caused a media frenzy in Lebanon, and many of his friends and family were worried for his safety.

“But it is a wonderful city, and I don’t need a visa to go,” he says. “I’ll definitely be back.”

Naim receives plenty of calls about the security situation in Istanbul – and, since the Reina attack, even a few cancellations. But despite the worsening security climate he continues to encourage his clientele to visit Turkey.

“I tell them, if you come to Istanbul and think about what happened at Reina, don’t come,” he says.

“But if you come to Istanbul, and see our beautiful country, be on the next flight.”