The famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Image: Canva
One of Turkey’s famous landmarks will now cost you R500 to visit
Foreign visitors will now have to fork out a R500 fee in order to see one of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks. Here are the details…
The famous Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Image: Canva
Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia introduces entry fee
One of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks, the 1 500-year-old Hagia Sophia, has introduced an entry fee and a separate entrance for foreign visitors.
Foreigners who are visiting Istanbul, Turkey, will now be charged an entrance fee to visit the historic Hagia Sophia. The €25 (around R500) fee was introduced on 15 January, reports say, according to a recent decision from Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
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Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy revealed the plans for the famous landmark in October last year, saying that the goal of the fee introduction was to improve the quality and security of visits and lessen visitor congestion at the Hagia Sophia.
He also said that the revenue from entrance fees would be used for the maintenance and preservation of the famous landmark.
TOURISM TAXES ON THE RISE
In related news, tourism taxes or tourist levies have shown an increase in the past year, with a number of countries announcing higher fees for tourists.
But what has brought this about?
As reported by Travel News, “Tourism Taxes by Design”, a white paper by Group NAO and the Global Destination Sustainability Movement, explains that tourist taxes established in the past decade have aimed to regulate overtourism and regenerate popular tourist destinations.
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According to this paper, the fees that are collected from tourists are used to fund the restoration of cultural heritage sites, help in the development of tourism infrastructure, nature preservation and even compensation for residents for different forms of pollution.
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Some of the countries visitors should be aware of for increasing tourism taxes or the introduction of new entry fees include Bali, Indonesia; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Venice, Italy.
