KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism interest in Turkiye remains strong among Malaysians despite the earthquake that decimated the southern regions of the country, according to the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA).
MATTA committee member Datuk Hamzah Rahmat said most tours to Turkiye focused on regions unaffected by the earthquakes.
“Most of Turkiye’s tourist attractions are situated in the central and northern provinces of the country, which have remained relatively unaffected by the earthquakes in the south.
“Turkiye’s southern areas, which border Syria, are typically considered out-of-bounds for most travel tours anyway, as we don’t do tours to Syria. As such, most Malaysian tours to the country are still proceeding smoothly without issue,” he told reporters at the MATTA headquarters here yesterday.
He added that a small number of Malaysians cancelled their trips to Turkiye, with the capacity of many of the planned flights and tours to the country still booked as per normal.
On Feb 6, some of the strongest earthquakes in Turkish history – a 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude earthquake – struck regions along and close to the Turkiye-Syrian border toppling entire blocks of buildings and killing thousands. Another 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck the region on Feb 20.
