In a recent interview with The Times Kuwait on the prevailing travel and tourism aspects of Turkey, the Ambassador of Turkey H.E. Ayşe Hilal Sayan Koytak said that Turkey offered a safe and smooth travel and tourism experience for travelers from Kuwait.
Pointing out that Kuwait sends the most number of tourists to Turkey in proportion to its population, Ambassador Koytak said that tourism between Turkey and Kuwait is quite remarkable. She noted that in 2019, more than 374,000 Kuwaitis visited Turkey, and that last year, despite COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the number of tourists from Kuwait surpassed 120,000. “This year, the tourism season started following the holy month of Ramadan, and we are more than ready to host our Kuwaiti brothers and sisters in our safe tourism destinations this year, the ambassador added.
Tourism sector is not only economically profitable, but also contributes to better understanding between our peoples. In this regard, I wish to also see more Turkish tourists visiting Kuwait, and I hope Kuwait will ease travel restrictions especially for our business people and for those traveling for essential purposes to Kuwait, said Turkey’s ambassador.
Elaborating on the level of pandemic infections in the country and the precautions being taken, the ambassador stressed that Turkey is among the most disciplined and successful countries in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. She noted that the country took early measures to protect visitors and citizens. These measures proved effective and as a result, on 31 May of this year, the Turkish Government announced a gradual normalization period.
Ambassador Koytak added that Turkey has also announced a four-tier system on local COVID-19 related restrictions. “Provinces are now divided into four different risk groups based on infection and vaccination rate in those areas: low risk areas are designated blue; medium risk is yellow; high risk areas are labeled orange; and extreme risk places are placed in the red category. Our Government provides information on daily cases, as well as weekly summaries, including regional details.”
Travelers can access these details online at https://covid19.saglik.gov.tr/
Turkey is one of the world’s top 10 travel destinations, welcoming more than 45 million foreign nationals every year. In a bid to promote tourism during these challenging times, Turkey last year introduced a ‘Safe Tourism Certification Program’. The program, which is the first of its kind in the world, helped draw more than 15 million tourists in 2020, despite the ongoing pandemic.
Detailing the ‘Safe Tourism Program’ Ambassador Koytak said: “This unique program defines and advises an extensive series of measures to be taken with regards to transportation and accommodation of all Turkish citizens and international visitors who will spend their holidays in Turkey. Besides the well-being and health of tourists and visitors, the program also ensures the health and safety of employees working at touristic facilities. In addition, the government has ensured that all employees working in the tourism sector are given priority in the vaccination program.
“The ‘Safe Tourism’ certificate has been made compulsory for all hotels with a capacity of 30 and more rooms. And, a Safe Tourism Certification logo is placed in clearly visible areas inside the verified facility. There are QR codes on all logos and through these QR codes, all guests and customers have access to the facility’s inspection data,” said the ambassador, adding that the entire process is transparent and a list of certified facilities can be reached online at:
Clarifying the precautionary measures taken by the government to fight the pandemic, the ambassador said that a curfew was in place from 10am to 5pm from Monday through Saturday, and a full lockdown is in effect during Sundays beginning at 10pm on Saturday and ending at 5am on Mondays. However, she added that foreign tourists are exempt from the COVID-19 restrictions applied in Turkey.
Moreover, museums and cultural sites are currently open only to foreign tourists, and public beaches accept visitors only in line with rules and regulations. Restaurants, historical and archeological sites, shopping venues have also re-opened but with strict measures in place, including on hygiene and safety. In fact, restaurants and cafes are also included in the ‘Safe Tourism Program’ and a list of restaurants participating in the program can be reached online at: https://tga.gov.tr/search-cafe-category-en/
Visitors are expected to follow the instructions of the authorities. Using masks in open areas and maintaining social distance are among these rules. Accredited PCR test centers are available at all international airports in Turkey, including at Antalya, Muğla, Bodrum, İzmir and İstanbul. In addition, around 480 accredited test centers offer passengers the opportunity to take a COVID-19 test before they leave Turkey. Moreover, within the scope of the ‘Safe Tourism’ certificate, accommodation facilities with 30 rooms or more provide COVID-19 test service upon request. A list of the various places offering this service can be availed online at: https://covid19bilgi.saglik.gov.tr/tr/.
In addition, within the scope of the ‘Safe Tourism’ certificate, accommodation facilities with 30 rooms or more provide COVID-19 test service upon request.
Regarding the precautionary measures that Kuwaitis will have to follow to enter Turkey, Ambassador Koytak clarified that passengers from Kuwait will not be required to submit a negative PCR test result if they submit a document issued by the Kuwaiti authorities stating that the passenger has been vaccinated at least 14 days before the date of entering to Turkey and/or have had the disease and has recovered within the last six months. Quarantine measures will not be applied for these passengers.
If passengers departing from Kuwait cannot submit a vaccine certificate or the documents proving that they have had the disease according to the stated rules, submission of a PCR negative test result made maximum 72 hours before the entrance to Turkey, or a negative rapid antigen test result made maximum 48 hours before the entrance to Turkey will be deemed sufficient. However, people entering Turkey may be subjected to a PCR test on the basis of sampling at their destination.
On the topic of visas, the ambassador noted that though visas are not required for Kuwaiti tourists, all passengers departing to Turkey must complete their digital entry registration online at the following site: http://register.health.gov.trb within 72 hours before entering Turkey.
After the registration is completed successfully, the passenger will have a personal HES (Hayat Eve Sığar — Life Fits Into Home) code. The HES code must be presented in digital or printed form at check-in and passengers must have it with them during their holiday in Turkey. The 10 or 12 digit HES code must also be used to obtain a ticket to travel within Turkey by public transport. The code is used to prevent and slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
It provides information on passengers who have been exposed to the virus or who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients. It provides information about the risk level of the area and helps to communicate quickly in case of any contact with a risk situation. It is obligatory to submit the HES code at the entrances to restaurants and cafes, hotels, shopping centers, public transportation vehicles, as well as at museums and cultural centers.
In case a traveler is infected with COVID-19 virus while in Turkey, there is a provision within the ‘Safe Tourism Program’ that obliges all hospitality facilities with a room capacity of 30 or more, to allocate isolation areas for visitors infected with the virus. If a visitor is diagnosed with COVID-19, the visitor and his/her relatives are provided with rooms set aside for isolation, for the duration and subject to conditions specified in the accommodation contract. If the patient shows severe symptoms, he/she is referred to the hospital.
Regarding health insurance to cover the treatment costs of guests who get infected with the COVID-19 virus during their travel in Turkey, the ambassador said that not all international health insurances may cover possible treatments in Turkey in case of infection with SarsCoV-2 virus. Therefore, I would advise that it should be checked individually before the start of the trip.
Travelers to Turkey can also take out an additional private health insurance before entering the country. There is a list of insurance companies authorized by the Turkish Ministry of Health to issue ‘COVID-19 insurance policies’ for foreign tourists coming to Turkey. The online site for this is available at: https://www.covidinsurance4turkey.com/
– STAFF REPORT