The Turkish hospitality industry anticipates a significant increase in tourism due to upcoming holidays including Eid al-Fitr, Nevruz, and Easter, as well as a school break. They aim for 65 million visitors and $64 billion in tourism revenues. With bookings up by 15 percent, hoteliers predict high occupancy rates and robust activity in the following months, especially in tourist regions like Antalya.
Title: March and April Holidays Poised to Boost Turkish Hospitality Sector
As Turkey approaches significant holidays, local hoteliers anticipate a surge in both domestic and international tourism. The holiday season, encompassing Eid al-Fitr, Nevruz, and Easter, coincides with the school break, promoting extensive travel and visitation to resort towns across the nation. Turkey is optimistic about welcoming 65 million visitors and achieving $64 billion in tourism revenue this year.
Eid al-Fitr is scheduled from March 29 to April 1, traditionally prompting millions to travel either to visit relatives or to enjoy a holiday in resorts. Additionally, the upcoming Nevruz holiday on March 21 is expected to attract many holidaymakers from Iran, the Middle East, and Turkic nations. Furthermore, the local tourism sector is hopeful about benefiting from the Easter holiday in April and Russia’s Victory Day in May, a key market for Turkish tourism.
Mehmet İşler, vice president of the Turkish Hoteliers’ Federation (TÜROFED), reports a 15 percent increase in bookings for Eid al-Fitr compared to the previous year. He projects that the Eid holiday will mark an early start to the 2025 tourism season, expecting a 100 percent occupancy rate in hotels during this period. Accommodation prices at resorts range from 2,000 to 10,000 Turkish Liras, inclusive of breakfast.
Kaşif Kavaloğlu, president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers and Investors Association (AKTOB), believes that the surge in local tourism will contribute to steady activity in resort towns. He states that while March can be challenging for tourism, April promises high levels of activity, with the Eid al-Fitr celebrations pushing the tourism season forward.
Optimistic about favorable weather in Antalya, with temperatures from 22 to 25 degrees Celsius, Kavaloğlu looks forward to increased visitors. Additionally, İsmail Çağlar, a manager at a five-star hotel, shares encouraging prospects for European Easter holiday bookings. He emphasizes the predictable influx of tourists during the Nevruz holiday from the Turkic Republics, Iran, and the Middle East.
The upcoming holidays, particularly Eid al-Fitr and Nevruz, are set to greatly benefit Turkey’s hospitality industry, fostering robust tourism activity. With a projected influx of visitors and positive booking trends, hoteliers are optimistic about achieving significant occupancy rates and overall tourist satisfaction. This promising start to the tourist season augurs well for Turkey’s ambition to capture a larger segment of the global tourism market.
Original Source: www.hurriyetdailynews.com
