news.am, Armenia
Sept 19 2010

In Van, Turkey 90% of hotel room bookings canceled

September 19, 2010 | 10:41

Van businessmen, who were expecting to earn large sums of cash during
the liturgy in the Armenian Church, Surb Khach on Akhtamar Island,
have suffered significant losses due to a decision by the Turkish
authorities not to place a cross on the dome of the church.

A number of entrepreneurs from Van told NEWS.am that they were
disappointed by the latest developments connected with Surb Khach
Church, in particular, by the authorities’ decision not to mount a
cross before the liturgy, as they have made significant investments
expecting a large number of Armenian visitors.

Regarding hotel bookings, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Van
Zahir Kandashoglu noted that 90% of people who expressed a desire to
visit Van canceled their reservations after they learned about the
decision not to place the cross atop the dome.

From: A. Papazian