According to the presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on May 21, Türkiye has granted Romanian citizens the right to enter Türkiye with an identity card. Consequently, Romanians will now enjoy visa exemption for tourist visits of up to 90 days within any 180-day period, as well as for transit purposes.
According to Selenay Yağcı from Ekonomim, the provision allowing Romanian citizens to enter Türkiye with an identity card is anticipated to increase the number of tourists from this country by 30 to 50 percent. Industry representatives expect the number of Romanian tourists, which was 990,000 last year, to exceed 1.5 million this year.
"Passport and visa money allocated to vacation"
Müberra Eresin, President of the Turkish Hoteliers Association (TÜROB), emphasized that tourists from neighboring countries always positively impact tourism data. She stated, "Identity card entry will increase the number of tourists coming from Romania by at least 30 percent. Passport and visa expenses are added to the travel budget. If there are no such expenses, the allocated budget is used during the vacation. For instance, if they were staying in a mid-segment hotel, they might opt for an upper-segment hotel or use that budget for shopping. Such measures both widen the tourist spectrum and contribute to revenue."
"We expect a 50% increase in the number of Romanians coming to Antalya"
Hakan Saatçioğlu, President of the Professional Hotel Managers Association (POYD), noted that Romania ranks 7th among the countries sending the most tourists to Antalya. He stated that they expect at least a 50% increase in the number of tourists coming to the region following the decision. Saatçioğlu emphasized that visa-free entries positively reflect on reservations, adding, "It increases last-minute bookings."
"We reaped the benefits of our work in poland"
Kaan Kavaloğlu, President of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB), recalled that after the regulation made with Poland two years ago, they carried out a very strong communication campaign in that country and reaped its benefits. He expressed similar expectations for Romania, stating, "With the regulation, we aim for the number of tourists coming to Antalya alone to exceed 500,000. This move is very important for the sector, especially while our main markets like Russia and Ukraine are experiencing stagnation due to the war."
