The effects of inflation, tax hikes and other issues are causing concern for Didim’s and Turkiye’s tourism operators, industry leaders have said this week.

With inflation still riding 70% and the Special Consumption Tax for July putting more percentage points on the likes of alcohol, cigarettes and fuel, tourism operators are said to be trying to remain upbeat.

Didim Tourism Association President Melih Koyuncu said: “Despite all the negativities, the tourism sector continues to struggle as always.

“As an association, we continue to stay in touch with our hoteliers, agencies, members and all other components and to be involved in the process. According to the information we have received and observed, Didim tourism continues on its course every year.

“Our large hotels achieve certain occupancy rates during early reservation periods. And then sales continue on their normal course. Our medium and small-scale hotels have achieved the occupancy rates they wanted for 4-5 days in line with the demand created by the holiday.

“Although we are approaching the middle of the season, our occupancy rates are very low. Even at the beginning of July, when the season is expected to be at its busiest, the picture in many places, especially Bodrum, has been disappointing.

“There are significant decreases in both local and foreign tourists. Since the prices are more expensive than European countries, it is difficult to attract tourists to our country. However, considering the increasing raw material costs, personnel expenses and taxes, it seems very difficult to reduce the prices.

“The reservation flow has slowed down due to the effect of UEFA Euro 2024, which continues between June 14 and July 14. After July 15, reservations will reach the desired level with last minute sales, and the first half of July – August and September will be based on occupancy.”

Across the industry, the feelings are about the same. Alanya Touristic Business Owners Association (ALTID) President Burhan Sili made evaluations regarding the tourism season. Drawing attention to the fact that the main problem in the sector is costs and exchange rate pressure, Sili spoke as follows: “The season is not productive because the exchange rate is not increasing at the same rate as the costs.

“When we look today, we broke the record in airport figures last year. This year, we have been observing a movement since January with a performance above that. However, as tourism professionals, our main problem is the costs and the exchange rate pressure.

“Since the exchange rate did not increase at the rate of the increase in costs, we see that we unfortunately did not have a very productive season.”

He added that people do not want to go out again because the prices are very high.

Bodrum Professional Hotel Managers Association Founder Serdar Karcılıoğlu said, “People went abroad, and those who could not go fled to tents or family summer houses.”

Karcılıoğlu added: “In July-August, which is the heart of the season, when schools are on holiday, the real middle class would come to Bodrum and stay in hotels, they had purchasing power. Now that purchasing power is gone. People’s freedom to go on holiday has been taken away from them and our hotels are empty.

“Our country has also ceased to be attractive to foreign tourists. We were already the apple of the eye of penniless tourists who were of no use to Turkey. Our holiday tours were sold in discount markets. Now they have shifted to countries like Egypt.”

After the visa application for Turkish tourists was successfully implemented on 10 Greek islands, other Greek islands want the same privilege to be granted to them.

After Greece introduced a one-week visa application for Turkish tourists to some Greek islands, the number of tourists visiting these islands increased threefold in the first 10 days of this month, compared to the same period last year.

Accordingly, while 390 tourists came to Lesbos in the first 10 days of April last year, this number has already increased to 3,800 for the same period. The number of tourists coming to Chios increased from 2,716 to 4,993, to Samos from 299 to 2,851, to Kos from 2,400 to 3,300 and to Rhodes from 2,320 to 5,726. In total, the number of tourists coming to these five islands has already reached 20,690, up from 5,969 in 2023.

Concerned about the situation, Turkish tourism operators are now preparing to demand the lifting of vise-free travel to Greece. They believe lifting this will revitalize Turkish tourism.