90 pct of vacationers ‘cancel plans for polls’

ISTANBUL-Anadolu Agency

Istanbul residents are canceling their early bookings to revote in upcoming mayoral elections on June 23, a top tourism official said on May 9.

After the Supreme Election Council (YSK) ordered the rerun of metropolitan municipality polls on June 23, some 90 percent vacationers applied to cancel their package tours or to change the vacation date, said Firuz Bağlıkaya, the head of Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), told state-run Anadolu Agency.         

He advised travel cancellation insurance for the vacationers who bought holiday packages with early booking.

“Customers can get a full refund when they cancel their trips three days before the holiday starts if they have the insurance,” he added.

Millions of Turkish voters cast their votes nationwide on March 31 in local elections to choose mayors, city council members and other officials for the next five years.  

Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) on May 6 announced that a do-over election for Istanbul metropolitan mayoral polls will be held on June 23.

The council members accepted the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) objection to the local election results in Istanbul.