All SA tourists in Turkey accounted for and safe - Travel agent

All its South African tourists in Turkey are accounted for and safe‚ but travellers should remain vigilant‚ says Flight Centre. This follows last night’s terror attack at Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul‚ which killed at least 36 people.

“Ataturk International Airport was shut down immediately after the attack‚ but has now been reopened. However it appears that several flights have been cancelled and there are many delays‚” said Sharmila Ragunanan‚ a Flight Centre spokesperson.

She said the agency had rescheduled some flights and would assist any passengers planning to travel to Turkey who are anxious and who want to change their travel arrangements.

South African passengers should contact their travel agents or airline to ascertain the status of their flight before they set off‚ she added.

She advised travellers in Turkey to be “extremely vigilant and follow any instructions given by police‚ tour operators and hotel staff“.

Turkey is a growing tourism market for South Africans‚ with approximately 40‚000 outbound trips undertaken to the country in 2015‚ according to Flight Centre’s statistics.

The South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation’s Consular Services division has been in close contact with the South African Embassy in Ankara following the attacks‚ the government said on Wednesday.

“South Africans in Turkey or family members in South Africa requiring assistance are requested to contact the South African Embassy in Ankara or the Department at +27 12 351 1000.”