More than 50,000 Turks visited the Greek islands during the nine-day holiday period for the celebration of Eid-al-Adha, also known as Kurban Bayram, according to Kıvanç Meriç, president of the Smyrna branch of the Turkish Travel Agency Association (TÜRSAB), taking advantage of the visa express, which gives them easy access to 10 Greek islands.
The special visa, which is attracting interest from Turks wishing to visit the Greek islands and was introduced earlier this spring, allows Turks to visit 10 Greek islands for up to a week without having to apply for full access to the European Union’s passport-free travel zone, known as the Schengen area.
According to Mr Meriç, it was obvious, even before the Eid holiday period, that a large number of Turks would travel to the Greek islands. “Especially regarding visas on arrival, the quotas were filled days before, while there were days when visas were suspended and a number were not accepted. This was reflected in the number of visitors during this holiday period where, daily, around 1,500-2,500 people passed through the Greek islands,” he said while speaking to Daily Sabah.
Citing figures from Greece, Meriç said that 13,000 Turks visited Lesvos, 15,000 visited Samos and 11,000 visited Chios.
According to him, the Greek islands have become a fashionable destination for Turks and there is a significant increase in the flow of Turkish travellers to them, who take advantage of the visa on arrival.
“The 10 Greek islands are breaking all-time records at the moment. And it looks like they will end the year with a new record high in visitor numbers,” he said.
He added that, islands with direct connections have higher traffic, noting that some of them, such as Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodes, have seen an increase in ferry connections.
Mr Meriç compared the two types of visas and explained that while for the Schengen visa one has to wait for months, for the visa on arrival the procedures are completed within a week from the submission of the required documents. Of course, the length of stay is limited to 7 days (6 nights).
After saying that there has been good preparation on the part of the Greek islands, he estimated that waiting times will be further reduced in the future.
According to Mr. Meriç, the bet for Turkey is the long-term visa from the Schengen countries, and he underlined the cost for the visa on arrival, which ranges between 80-100 euros, while the visa is only valid for one visit, to one island, for seven days, unlike the Schengen visa, the cost of issuing which ranges between 100 and 150 euros.
