It is reported that day trips which were being offered by TUI to the Northern Cyprus, will be stopped from 31 August.
However, the announcement to cut trips to the northern part of the island - which contains a famous abandoned town once loved by European elites (Varosha Ghost Town) - has sparked outrage amongst the Turkish Cypriot community. Local tour guides were apparently notified by email that the travel heavyweight will cease promoting or selling tours to the northern part of Cyprus after August 31.
A leaked email screenshot was published by the Northern Cyprus newspaper Kibris, allegedly sent by TUI to the guides. The email read: "TUI has come to an agreement with [the] Cyprus government to stop promoting and selling excursions to [the] northern occupied side of Cyprus. This applies to all languages and all excursions where we currently cross the border to the north."
Cemal Gulercan, a member of the Turkish Cypriot restaurateurs' association (Res-Bir), expressed his concerns to Kibris, stating that this move "will have a negative impact on the service sector and restaurants".
He also warned that it could "increase political tensions" between the two communities on the island and "can be seen as part of a strategy to isolate North Cyprus economically".
Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar slammed the government in the south of Cyprus, accusing them of "blackmailing" tour operators and targeting the tourism sector with a 'blockade policy'.
He stated: "The Greek Cypriot leadership has this time placed our tourism sector at the centre of its 'blockade policy' aimed at collapsing our economy. Accordingly, it is taking steps to completely illegally prevent the passage of people who want to have a holiday in our country and have made a reservation in advance, including European Union citizens."
Meanwhile, TUI's website now shows that day trips to northern Cyprus destinations such as Famagusta, Salamis, and Kyrenia are marked as 'sold out'. The travel firm has yet to comment on the claims.
For years, tourists have visited the southern part of Famagusta, to see Varosha, a ghost town that was once a glamorous beach resort frequented by celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor. The two which has been abandoned for half a century, was sealed off in 1974 following the Turkish intervention to protect the Turkish settlers.