Spike in Brits turning to Turkey for getaways amid Middle East war

British holidaymakers have turned to Turkey for their Easter getaways amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, as firms rush to offer discount deals. 

The number of UK tourists visiting the eastern Mediterranean nation leapt by 64 per cent in the last week of March, new official tourism figures have shown. 

And arrivals of Brits were 16 per cent higher last month than the same time last year, as per the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA). 

The most popular destinations include Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir, which all offer some much-needed springtime sun this Easter weekend.  

The sudden spike in interest in holidays to the country comes after the Middle East exploded into conflict earlier this year. 

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, which saw Tehran launch a wave of retaliatory strikes across the Gulf.  

Glamorous locations across the region, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, have become beloved hotspots for British tourists and expats alike in recent years.

But with airspaces closing en masse as bombs rain down, fearful holidaymakers have been turning their attentions elsewhere. 

Sinan Seha Türkseven, TGA general manager, said: 'British travellers have made their verdict clear.

'Our border entries from the UK, and other European markets are showing double-digit growth year on year over the past few weeks.

'British holidaymakers clearly know that Turkey's holiday destinations are open, welcoming, and as spectacular as ever.'

Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at package holiday firm On the Beach, similarly said bookings to Turkey are seeing a 'strong resurgence' among British tourists. 

In the past week alone, the company has seen a staggering 160 per cent increase in last-minute bookings over the Easter period. 

Ms Harris said the trend was likely to continue for the rest of the year. 

Steve Heapy, chief executive of package holiday firm Jet2, which is the UK's largest tour operator to Turkey, said the company is expecting 'a busy summer'. 

And Helmut Wolfel, commercial director at Turkish airline SunExpress, similarly said the country is currently 'an attractive option' for British tourists.

The UK Foreign Office guidance remains that most of Turkey is considered safe for travel, apart from the border with Syria along the east of the country.

Holidaymakers willing to visit the country amid the Middle East war can now buy flights for just £15 or package holidays for only £200. 

Some tourists were put off travelling to the country after the conflict began amid concerns fighting could spread beyond the Gulf.

These fears were exacerbated after Turkey confirmed early last month a 'ballistic munition' launched towards it from Iran was intercepted by Nato air defences.

The tourism industry has now put forward a range of affordable deals for sunseekers to entice them to the country despite any concerns. 

Flights from London this month can be bought for only £15 to Bodrum, £28 to Dalaman, £30 to Antalya, £33 to Istanbul, £41 to Izmir and £52 to Ankara.

Package holidays are also very cheap, with seven nights for two self-catering in Marmaris with flights from April 22 costing only £212 each via easyJet Holidays.

The operator is also offering two people seven nights with breakfast at a hotel in Dalaman with flights from London for the same date for £214 per person.

The cheapest single flight from London to Turkey in March or April is a Ryanair service from Stansted to Bodrum on April 15 for £15, according to Google Flights.

Tourism chiefs in Turkey have been quick to reassure tourists all resorts, hotels and attractions are 'operating as booked' as conflict in the Middle East rages on. 

The country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, along with the TGA, insisted in a statement last month all tourist facilities are 'proceeding as normal'. 

Officials said operations are continuing 'without disruption', with no government-mandated restrictions or disruptions. 

All UK/Ireland flights to and from Turkish airports - including Istanbul, Antalya, Bodrum, Izmir and other major international hubs - are departing on schedule.

Airlines serving the country have also not reported any flight disruptions, restrictions or cancellations linked to the conflict.

While business is booming in Turkey, spooked British tourists have started cancelling their holidays to nearby Cyprus. 

Hotel bookings on the island are down by some 40 per cent as war rages in the Gulf.

Photographs show deserted beaches and streets in hotspots such as Limassol and Protaras which are usually bustling with tourists during the Easter holidays. 

But conflict began in the Middle East just as Cyprus's tourism industry was reopening after winter, which has hit the Mediterranean nation hard. 

Then on March 2, as Iran launched a series of counter-strikes, a drone struck a British naval base on the island, triggering a wave of tourist cancellations.

The drop in bookings is the latest sign of the war's broad ​fallout, from disrupted oil flows to mass flight cancellations and worsening economic outlooks worldwide.

Daily cancellation rates for short-term rentals in Cyprus ​shot up from around 15 per cent before the conflict to as high as 100 per cent in the days after, figures showed.

That number has since dropped, ⁠according to the data from US-based AirDNA, which tracks such bookings - but remained around 45 per cent by March 21.

Cyprus' Hoteliers Association has seen a near 40 per cent drop in March bookings and a ​similar reduction in April.

Cyprus, which welcomed four million international visitors last year, relies heavily on tourism from the UK, with British travellers making up around a third of arrivals.

But located just 100 miles from Lebanon and Syria in the Middle East, the country is seeing a decline in its usual visitor numbers as regional instability grows.