As Western Europe and Turkey are top tourist destinations among Koreans, particularly in summer, concerns and inquiries are growing over whether they should push ahead with scheduled trips or cancel them.
"I think I have to cancel my trip to France," one Internet user said. "Terrorist attacks are so frequent there. If I cancel it, I will not get a refund for the 1.5 million won I've spent. I don't know whether that dangerous place is worth 1.5 million won. Even if I go, I don't think I can fully enjoy the trip because of safety concerns."
Another blogger said, "Nice used to be considered safe from terrorist attacks. Now I don't know which place is safe. It seems no city can guarantee safety."
Although there has been no massive cancelation of trips yet, the recent incidents are expected to have an effect, travel agencies said.
The Korean government immediately issued a special travel advisory for Turkey, which will remain effective until July 29. Nice was also added to the destinations with a travel alert by the government.
After the Turkish coup, 15 travelers scheduled Saturday to depart for Spain via Turkey canceled their trips, according to Mode Tour, Korea's second-largest tour agency.
The Turkish airport has a lot of connecting flights to European cities. Stella Lee, a hotel employee who will travel to Switzerland via a layover in Turkey in August, is watching developments closely. "I have not canceled the trip yet, but will watch closely how things develop."
"Turkey is a famous destination because of its rich history, great food and affordability, but, that's no longer the case," said Cho Sang-il from Hana Tour, the biggest Korean tour agency. "The decrease in the number of Korean tourists to Turkey has already begun."
The tour age ncies said the weekend's violence in France and Turkey is expected to push up the number of travelers to Australia and North America. "Although we don't see many massive cancelations, we are seeing fewer new sales in European packages. Instead, sales of Australian and North American packages may pick up," Cho said.
Europe began sliding down from the top tourist destinations after attacks in Paris last November which killed more than 100. Attacks that followed ― those at the Belgian International Airport and Turkish International Airport earlier this year ― have contributed to sentiments that Europe isn't safe anymore.
Last Thursday in Nice, a 19-ton truck was rammed into people celebrating the French national day, killing 84 people and injuring many more. In Turkey, a failed coup attempt by some of the country's military killed more than 250. Turkey's Ataturk Airport in Istanbul was shut down during and after the incident, grounding thousands of travelers there.
Source: Terrorism makes travelers avoid Europe for summer holiday
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