Wednesday 30 / October / 2024
Muscat: A leading member of the Turkish Parliament (Adana Province), who had served in the Foreign Affairs Committee Member, suggested that GCC expats including those living in Oman should travel to Türkiye visa-free.
Since December 2023, Omani citizens holding ordinary passports have been exempted from visa requirements for their travels for tourism purposes to Turkiye up to 90 days.
Speaking to Times of Oman, Bilal Bilici, a member of the Turkish Parliament, said that as the GCC travellers seek new horizons and enriching experiences, Türkiye stands out as an exceptional destination.
“Its unique blend of history, culture, natural beauty, and warm hospitality offers a multifaceted journey that promises to captivate and inspire. As a public servant with a private sector background, I am a true believer in cultural exchange, person-to-person interaction, and establishing solid experiences free from bias and prejudice. Therefore, I highly welcome and value all kinds of interaction between the peoples and businesses from the GCC countries, including expats and Türkiye. So, I strongly believe that the GCC residents, including those living in Oman should enter Türkiye either with no visa or visa on arrival to boost the tourism numbers,” he said.
Bilal Bilici, who had worked in Dubai, UAE in the petrochemical industry for 3 years, said Türkiye should follow similar procedures like Georgia to increase the tourism arrivals.
“To achieve the goal of 60 million tourists, intense and concrete visa liberalisation practices are required,” he opined.
In 2023, the number of visitors increased by 10%, reaching 56.7 million. In 2024, 60 million tourists are expected to visit Türkiye.
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