Loss Of Champion League Final Daunts Istanbul's Tourism Sector - Chamber Of Commerce

ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th May, 2021) The decision of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to move the Champions League's final game from Istanbul to Porto had discouraged Turkey's tourism industry, the chief of tourism and hotel industry committee of the city's chamber of commerce, Aydin Karacabay, told Sputnik on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, UEFA moved the May 29 game between Manchester City and Chelsea after the United Kingdom put Turkey on the so-called red list of countries, meaning people returning from there have to spend ten days in quarantine upon arrival.

"Unfortunately, this decision has dashed our hopes. We were expecting a small movement in the tourism sector due to the Champion League final in late May, but this remained but a dream. Very daunting news," Karacabay said.

Istanbul was supposed to host last year's finals, but the right was passed over to Lisbon due to the pandemic.

Turkey has been suffering a spike of COVID-19 cases, prompting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to impose a total lockdown in the country from April 29 to May 17.