The unrest to have an effect on the Turkey’s tourism industry

Mark Warner, one of the UK's biggest tour operators, has pulled out of Turkey, amid concerns about the growing unrest in the country.

The announcement follows news that Elixir Holidays, a luxury specialist in Turkey, collapsed on Wednesday, leaving around 300 forward bookings. On the same day a large explosion in the capital Ankara had killed at least 28 people.

Another tour operator that specialises in Turkey and North Cyprus, Anatolian Sky, has said that with each attack "there is a noticeable slow down" in interest in the country.

Akin Koç, managing director of Anatolian Sky, told Telegraph Travel that the company had begun to notice that first-time visitors to the country were increasingly cautious.

"Mark Warner's decision to pull out this season is undoubtedly a blow for the destination but my understanding is that it is the most suitable decision for their business model at this time," he said.

"We know that the Turkish government and security forces are taking the ongoing security situation extremely seriously and monitoring the level of threat from all sources."

"Our phones are continuing to ring and we are still receiving enquiries for holidays in Turkey, although with each incident that makes the headlines, there is a noticeable slow down," he added.

A spokesman for Mark Warner could not confirm the number of customers affected by its decision to cancel its sole Turkish offering, the Sea Garden Beach Resort in Bodrum, but the spokesman said "the time is right to bring out operations in Turkey to an end".

The unrest has already begun to have an effect on the country's tourism industry. Thomas Cook cut capacity to Turkey by 29 per cent in the wake of the Istanbul bombing, while Tui Group, which includes Thomson, has reported a 40 per cent slump in summer holiday bookings to the country.

In January, a number of cruise lines announced that ships would avoiding Istanbul and the beach resort of Kusadasi, citing "ongoing safety concerns".

Costa Crociere has followed suit, last week dropping calls to Istanbul on its neoRiviera itinerary in favour of Rhodes due to "ongoing guest concerns". A statement from the cruise line said it was "carefully monitoring" its other routes that include Turkey.

Last August Exclusive Escapes, which specialised in upmarket villa and travel packages, went bust. Its website read at the time: "It's no secret that 2015 has been one of the toughest years to date for tourism in Turkey, largely due to its geopolitical situation."

Source: The unrest to have an effect on the Turkey's tourism industry