Berlin.
The earthquakes in Turkey provide frightening images. Many have planned trips to the country. You have to pay attention to that now.
The pictures from the earthquake areas of Turkey go around the world. The southeast of the country is particularly badly affected. Many have not only planned relatives in the regions, but also trips to Turkey. Now the question arises, can and should you start your vacation in the country?
Anyone who is already on site should behave prudently and follow the instructions of the local authorities follow, writes the Foreign Office. The provinces of Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Hatay, Adana, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Şanliurfa, Adiyaman, Kilis and Osmaniye were most affected.
The regional airports of Hatay, Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep are currently closed, the reports ADAC. Mainly domestic flights from Turkish Airlines and Pegasus depart from here. According to Alexander Schnaars, company spokesman for the automobile club, anyone who wants to travel to the affected areas should find out about the situation on site before starting the trip.
Are tourist areas affected by the earthquakes?
The main tourist centers of Turkey are not affected by the earthquake. Popular regions such as Istanbul or the seaside resorts on the Turkish Riviera such as Side, Antayla or Alayna are several hundred kilometers away from the epicentres. Although there are also beaches between Anamur and Antakya in southeastern Turkey, these are rarely visited by package holidaymakers.
Holidaymakers should obtain detailed information for the specific region. “It is possible that tourist facilities will not be accessible at short notice to check the damage. Information about closed museums, churches, etc. can be obtained from the local tourist offices,” says Schnaars.
What rights do travelers have when planning a holiday in Turkey?
If a natural disaster hits the region where travelers have planned their vacation, then extraordinary circumstances apply in travel law. Package vacationers can then cancel this without cancellation fees. For this, however, certain requirements must be met: “The circumstances (forest fire, earthquake, etc.) must occur directly or in the immediate vicinity of the holiday destination and the journey to or the execution of the trip must be significantly impaired,” explains Schnaars.
The situation is a bit more complicated for individually booked trips. Hotel, flights or accommodation that were booked individually cannot simply be canceled free of charge. “For example, if an accommodation has been booked individually, you cannot simply cancel as long as the accommodation is accessible and habitable without any risk to health. Here you have to hope for goodwill from the provider, ”said the company spokesman from ADAC.
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Fear of further earthquakes: Can the trip be canceled?
Travelers also cannot withdraw free of charge if the destination airport and hotel stay are not affected by the extraordinary circumstances.
Anyone who fears further aftershocks and therefore does not want to go on vacation must expect cancellation costs: “The fear of further earthquakes alone is usually not enough to be able to withdraw from a travel contract free of charge (due to extraordinary circumstances),” says Schnaars. Travel cancellation insurance does not usually cover natural events.
It must therefore be checked individually for each trip what rights holidaymakers have in this exceptional situation.
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