Canceling the Eilat vacation? Come to Antalya!
In light of today's rocket and local-madness news, Ricochet's Official Mediterranean Travel Advisory Service (that's me!) suggests that travelers who are no longer so sure about Eilat reconsider Antalya. We liked this statement from the city's mayor.
Antalya Mayor Mustafa Akaydın condemned Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's policy and called on Israelis to once again fill the city's streets and hotels, this after Israel lifted a severe warning on travel to the country.
"The friendly relations between our two nations are important to me. I am concerned about the deterioration in ties," he told Israeli reporters on Monday.
And don't get the wrong idea, it's not just about your money:
"To us, the Israelis' money is not as important as the friendly relations between both nations. I am very concerned about the ties between our countries. We have the strongest economies in the Middle East, and the relationship between us is crucial to the entire region's stability," he said.
The mayor continued to say that Antalya "is a very safe city for the Israeli tourist – every person on the street will tell you this. It is safer than any other port or tourist city in Turkey."
I've been to Antalya and it's breathtaking--and it's every bit as welcoming as the mayor says. I think people who say things like this should be rewarded with reciprocal good will. Come back to Antalya, Israelis! I'm pretty sure it's safe, although sometimes the PKK does get a little frisky around this time of year.
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