ANKARA (Anadolu) — Turkey is expected to introduce a €1.50 security tax for tourists beginning on January 1, 2019.

Initially it was supposed to introduce a tax of €3.00 euros but the Association of Travel Agencies of Turkey (TURSAB) appealed to the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, with a proposal to reduce the fee, as millions of tourists have already paid for vacation in Turkey in 2019. After negotiations with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, it was reportedly decided to reduce the fee to €1.5/person.

Meanwhile, the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) portal Interfax-Tourism reports that the new tax is introduced unexpectedly, and it is not clear whether to charge extra tourists who have already bought tours to Turkey on early booking shares. “Most likely, for already sold tours it will fall on the shoulders of tour operators”, said ATOR.

The tax on security will be collected at airports on arrival in Turkey. This tax should be paid by nationals of Turkey, European Union countries and other countries of the world irrespective of their ages and the travel season.