The number of Israeli tourists visiting Turkey has fallen drastically in the wake of Turkey's harsh reactions to Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip, the Dogan news agency reported on Friday.
Around 3,000 Israeli tourists flew into the Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya in January, a fall of almost 60 per cent compared to last year's almost 10,000 arrivals, dpa reported.
"We are experiencing unbelievable losses," said Serdar Unsalan, Antalya representative for the Israeli travel agency Flying Carpet. "The sector is in complete panic. Looking at the situation we expect for there to be an even more dramatic fall in February."
Unsalan said that his company was offering 60 per cent discounts to try and sell travel packages.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been a harsh critic of Israel's recent military operations in Gaza, describing the actions as a "humanitarian disgrace" and a "stain on history's page". Last week Erdogan stormed out of a panel in Davos, Switzerland, after angrily telling Israeli President Shimon Peres that Israel "knew very well how to kill people."
Turkey has also seen dozens of protests across the country where anti-Semitic slogans have been expressed.