Turkey strives to revive coronavirus-hit tourist sector

In normal times, tourists must rise at dawn to secure a free sunbed on the beach in Antalya, a popular holiday resort in southern Turkey. | Konyaalti beach in the southern resort city of Antalya.

Today even after a lie in, the best locations are still available. | A man wearing a protective mask walks on Konyaalti beach.

As elsewhere, the coronavirus pandemic has hammered the tourism industry - a vital Turkish economic sector that welcomed a record 50 million foreign visitors last year. | A pool of a luxury hotel at Lara district in Antalya.

But with the lifting of restrictions around the world including the gradual opening of airline connections, Turkey is trying to lure tourists to save what it can of the summer season. | Social distancing at Antalya International airport.

At a luxury hotel on the Mediterranean coast, floor markings invite customers to respect social distancing, disinfectant gels are placed at the entrance to elevators and restaurants and all staff wear protective face masks, AFP journalists saw on a press trip organised by the Turkish tourism ministry.

"We have taken strict measures to protect our employees and tourists," Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy told AFP in an interview.

"Turkey is the best prepared country" to welcome travellers, he said. | The old town and the historic port in the southern resort city of Antalya.

The minister last week unveiled the "safe tourism" certificate, awarded on the basis of 132 criteria to hotels and restaurants able to accomodate customers in proper sanitary conditions.

About 500 establishments have received that label and authorities hope to quadruple the figure in the coming month.

To earn the tourism ministry's label, hotels must also set up a separate section to isolate tourists who test positive for COVID-19. | Luxury hotels at Lara district in Antalya.

"We had to reconfigure our establishments. Despite these additional expenses, we will not increase prices," said Sururi Corabatir, president of the Federation of Turkish Hoteliers. | A tourist waits for his food behind a glass shield at a luxury hotel at Lara district in Antalya.

The government has also introduced a health insurance scheme - 23 euros ($26) worth - covering hospital expenses for COVID-19 patients. Travellers can sign up on arrival. | Turkish police officers wearing face masks and visors wait for passengers at the passport control at Antalya International airport.

The stakes are high: from hoteliers to restaurateurs, along with farmers who sell their products in the region, the pandemic has upended the lives of all those who live off tourism in Antalya.

The area nicknamed "Las Vegas without a casino" for its luxury resort hotels looks like a ghost town. Except for some pharmacies, all shops and restaurants are shut. | Closed shops at Lara district in Antalya.

"In 2019, we received 35 million passengers, including 15 million from abroad. Since the beginning of the year, the total number is less than a million," said Deniz Varol, director general of Antalya airport.

In the airport, thermal cameras take passengers' temperatures, a quarantine room has been set up and a centre able to carry out 20,000 tests a day has opened.