Effect COVID-19 on tourism sector of and spread in Turkey

Epidemics negatively affect countries economically and socially due to the crisis environment they create. While all sectors are affected by the crisis, it is seen that the tourism sector, which has high demand elasticity compared to other sectors, is more rapidly affected by the fluctuations experienced during the crisis periods. The destination images of the countries where epidemics are seen are affected and the trust problem created by this situation in tourists is reflected negatively on their preferences. In the tourism sector, which is an important item in financing the current account deficit in terms of the country's economy, it is likely that there will be a decrease in the number of tourists, income rates and employment rates during and after the epidemic due to demand shocks related to the epidemic. In this study, the effects of past epidemics on the tourism sector were examined, and in this context, the reflection of the Covid-19 epidemic, which started in Wuhan at the end of 2019 and affected the whole world, on the macroeconomic variables of our country and its effects on the tourism sector were discussed. In line with the data obtained, it has been concluded that our country's tourism sector has gone through a difficult process due to the epidemic, and there has been a decrease in tourism demand, sectoral employment rates, tourism income and the share of tourism income in GDP. In addition, it has been determined that the Covid-19 epidemic has affected the tourism sector more negatively than the epidemics experienced in the past, compared to the political, social and economic crises