Although the reserves, which fell sharply after the earthquake in tourism, which is one of the key sectors for the Turkish economy due to the inflow of foreign currency it provides, have begun to recover, the rhetoric of earthquake expectations, especially for Istanbul, makes it difficult that the demand recovers. return to your previous course.

While industry representatives forecast that the weak reserve flow for May will accelerate after the elections, with the effect of the elections the end-of-year targets are also in place.

The government aims to combat high inflation and interest rates by creating a current account surplus, especially on tourism and export earnings.

Turkey’s tourism revenue target for this year is at the level of $56 billion. According to the declarations made after the earthquake by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the end-of-year tourist goal remains.

According to official statements, more than 50,000 people lost their lives in the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, while hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless.

Olivier Ponti, vice president of travel data firm ForwardKeys Insights, noted weakening post-earthquake prospects. Even Istanbul, hundreds of kilometers away, was badly affected by the earthquake,” he said.

TICKETS LESS THAN 31 PERCENT OF 2019

“Ticket issuance for stays of two nights or more in Istanbul was 7% lower than in 2019, two weeks before the earthquake, but after the earthquake, this rate is now 31% lower than in 2019… The decline in reserves will lead to fewer visitors in the future. and both for tourism professionals and for the country it means less income for its economy.”

The number of foreign visitors increased by 80 percent to 44.56 million last year. This figure, which indicates a strong post-pandemic recovery, was slightly below the record of 45.06 million in 2019.

Kadir Uğur, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bentour Reisen, the tour operator that brings tourists to Turkey from the markets of Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Austria, said: “It was a very good year, but we calmed down a bit because of the earthquake. It was reopened after the earthquake, but it did not return to its previous level,” he said, adding:

“Especially in Istanbul, the increase stopped after the earthquake. There was no revival. Because Istanbul has always been the target, saying ‘the next earthquake will be in Istanbul’. So many buildings are paralyzed, so many dangerous buildings scared the consumer. This subject has been touched on all the time in the national and international media, people are afraid when it is said that it will happen soon.

Istanbul is one of the most important destinations for Turkish tourism. According to the data from the Istanbul Governor’s Office, the number of foreign visitors to Istanbul in 2022 exceeded 16 million, accounting for 36 percent of the total foreign visitors to Turkey.

DESTINATIONS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE AEGEAN MEET

Unlike Istanbul, popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean and Aegean are giving stronger signals after the sharp drop in bookings after the earthquake.

According to data from the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism of Antalya Governorate, the number of tourists arriving in Antalya by air in March increased by 54 percent compared to the previous year and reached 347,635, breaking the record. March record. The Russians ranked first in number of tourists, followed by the Germans and the British.

According to the information provided by the chairman of the Marmaris Municipality Tourism Commission, Ali Kırlı, bookings in Marmaris, where bookings fell sharply after the earthquake, increased again in the last 2-3 weeks and recorded an increase of around of 70 percent.

Saying that they expect the region to outperform last year throughout the year, Kırlı said: “The course of the exchange rate and inflation in our European markets, especially the UK, continue to make Turkey attractive. … Since Turkey is one of the few countries open to Russia, it will again see strong demand from the Russians.”

WEAK SALES IN MAY

On the other hand, stating that after the improvement in April, a recession was observed in May due to the electoral effect, Kırlı said: “Occupancy rates are good in April. But there is weakness in May sales. May is currently weak for the first two weeks, especially due to the elections. However, there is no problem in June-September, ”he said.

As millions of Turks prepare to go to the polls in the May 14 election, considered one of the most important in Turkey’s modern history, President Tayyip Erdoğan faces the biggest political challenge of his twenty-year rule.

Armada International Hotel Management President Kasım Zoto said, “The occupancy rate for April is around 70 percent. But it’s not possible to say anything about May at the moment. She recovered after the earthquake, but now the elections make us nervous. We see this in May bookings,” he said, adding:

“Having a reservation in tourism does not necessarily mean making that reservation. In case of any problem, they can cancel immediately. People want to get it with the right to cancel 48 hours in advance, especially after the pandemic. So you are experiencing some excitement until 48 hours ago… Once we get past the election, we will continue in a better way.”

Turkish Tourism Investors Association President Oya Narin stated that they expect a strong boost after the election, saying, “We are recovering after the slowdown after the earthquake. In the last week or two, the movement has intensified, but it will pick up speed after the election,” he said, adding:

“It is not a choice like not being able to come, but for foreign tourists, you prefer to go to some countries at a more convenient time. After the elections, we expect very serious action. We hope to have a good season like last year”. (Reuters)