This summer, the cheapest holiday for two starts from 35,000 TL

After the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş in February, the tourism sector, where the flow of reservations for both the domestic and foreign sides almost stopped and this stagnation continued until the end of May, began to move in June.

With the passing of the elections, the schools will be on vacation, the festive holiday is extended to 9 days and foreign tourists begin to arrive, tourism professionals expect high occupancy rates in hotels in the coming days.

However, according to tourism professionals, although demand began to rise, rising costs due to high inflation led to increases of more than 100 percent in domestic tourism. This will keep the demand for domestic tourism limited.

While the average cost of a week’s vacation for two people last year started at 15-20,000 TL, this year the cost of accommodation for two people for just one week starts at 35,000 TL. When food and transportation are added to this, it was claimed that a week’s vacation for two people increased to 45-50 thousand TL.

PRESIDENT OF TÜRSAB: UP TO 150 THOUSAND TL

Speaking to Sozcu.com.tr, the president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), Firuz Bağlıkaya, gave an assessment to sozcu.com.tr, “Although prices in domestic tourism vary depending on the location and the hotel star, vacation packages for two people 5-6 days 30- It starts from 35 thousand TL and goes up to 150 thousand TL. Cultural tours are also among the packages in demand. They are sold for around 6 thousand lira per person in the form of 4-5 day tours,” he said.

While Baglikaya said that the cost increases faced by hoteliers were effective in this price increase, he noted that domestic tourist demand increased with the extension of the Eid holiday to 9 days, and they expect a serious increase in hotel rates. occupation with the effect of foreign tourists.

‘THE FALL OF LOCAL TOURISTS CONTINUES’

According to information provided by tourism professional Bülent Bülbüloğlu to sozcu.com.tr, hotel prices have increased by at least 80-100 percent this summer compared to last year.

Bülbüloğlu says that the price increase will also continue to reduce demand for domestic tourism this year:

“Due to the decline in purchasing power, the decline on the domestic side also continues this year. Hotel inflation is very high. Although we faced severe inflation, we were unable to reflect most of it in prices. However, the understanding of ‘let me go on vacation’ has been weakened. Unfortunately, at the point we’ve reached, purchasing power can’t keep up with rising hotel prices.”

‘PRICES WILL BE HIGHER IN JULY AND AUGUST’

Stating that it is difficult to find an average price of less than 2 thousand lira per person per night for a vacation of 2 people in an all-inclusive concept in a 4-star hotel, Bülbüloğlu said: “Then it will be necessary to give at least 28 thousand lira only to hotel. This price exceeds 100 thousand lira. However, these are prices for the month of June. It will go even higher in July and August,” he said.

THE RUBLE LOSES VALUE, THE RUSSIANS BEGIN TO FIND TURKEY EXPENSIVE

On the other hand, tourism professionals say that after the earthquake in Kahramanmaraş on February 6 shook the whole country, they experienced a sharp decline in bookings and this decline continued until May, and foreigners also said that they were afraid of the earthquake and reduced your reservations

Add to this the depreciation of the ruble against the dollar, and Russian tourists starting to find prices in Turkey expensive, tourism professionals said they are hopeful that they will have peak season once bookings start to recover at starting in June. .

Bülbüloğlu said: “2023 had started very well, until the earthquake…” and said: “We received very serious bookings from our resource markets. It was perhaps the highest booking in our entire tourist history, but due to the earthquake we received far fewer bookings from February to the end of May. This also affected the occupation,” he said.

Bülbüloğlu said: “I can say that we did not experience cancellations in reservations, but no region in Turkey got reservations in February.” Tourism professionals could not spend March, April and May as they wanted, ”he said.

HOPE FOR HOLIDAYS ON RESERVATIONS

Speaking to Sozcu.com.tr, the new president of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), Erkan Yağcı, said that tourism professionals will continue to have active holidays in all coastal regions and that they expect bookings to accelerate to starting this weekend, and he said, “I think we’re going to have a busy period.

Burhan Sili, Chairman of the Alanya Association of Tour Operators (ALTID), said:

“Prices have inevitably increased in proportion to the increase in costs compared to last year. In the domestic market, the dedication necessary for citizens to come on vacation is demonstrated. Since there are suitable facilities for all income levels in Alanya, the demand remains positive. School holidays in foreign resource markets will come into force in the second half of June. Hence our high season. As of this month, there has been an increase in demand.”