Turkey is planning to introduce a certificate system for holidaymakers to prove they are free of coronavirus before visiting the country.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy revealed the new initiative which aims to certify tourist attractions as coronavirus-free while the global pandemic continues.
Tourism officials in some countries - including neighbouring Greece - are looking at ways to salvage summer tourism as Covid-19 cases fall following lockdown, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Experts indicate the deadly virus in Turkey will continue through April and early May, before numbers are seen to be going down.
Ersoy said the normalisation phase in Turkey could begin as early as the second week of May, according to TRT World.
He told local media that holidaymakers will need to possess the official document detailing their health status while new measures are also to be introduced across the tourism industry.
The certification system will include three pillars covering transportation, facilities and passengers who use the previous two pillars.
Under the new programme, Ersoy also stressed the importance of sterilising vehicles, hotels, airports, restaurants, agencies, museums and historical sites.
Staff working in tourism will also be required to get an immunity certificate and pandemic training in order to maximise a successful approach to the virus.
Ersoy said: "We have started the certification process to determine the coronavirus-free zones under a system."
He said: "This will probably be an example to the world that we have developed. By gradually including all NGOs in the commission, we aim to finalise this certification system quickly in the first week of May."
Currently, the Department of Foreign Affairs is advising against all non-essential travel overseas until further notice.
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