Alarm bells in tourism
The economic crisis and rising prices have driven away both domestic and foreign tourists. While Turkey is losing its "price advantage" in tourism, Greece, Egypt, and Spain, which compete on service quality, are coming to the fore. Hotels are not filling up, and the sector is preparing for a contraction.
12punto
The tourism sector has started the 2025 season with a sense of hopelessness. While vacations have become almost a luxury for domestic tourists due to the economic crisis, there is also a notable decline in the number of foreign tourists who previously preferred Turkey thanks to the currency advantage. Rising input costs have made accommodation and service fees inaccessible even for foreign guests. In destinations such as Antalya and Bodrum in particular, a five-night vacation for a family of four now reaches 150 thousand TL. It is possible to find the same package for 100 thousand TL in Greece and 80 thousand TL in Egypt.
PRICE/PERFORMANCE BALANCE HAS TURNED AGAINST TURKEY
For many years, Turkey stood out as a destination offering affordable and high-quality service for foreign tourists. However, this advantage has now disappeared. TÜRSAB İzmir President Kıvanç Meriç states that hoteliers cannot control their costs due to rising taxes and dependence on imported products. Alanya Touristic Operators Association President Burhan Sili emphasizes that prices must be brought to reasonable levels immediately, otherwise it will become "impossible to compete while maintaining quality."
FOREIGN TOURISTS HAVE CHANGED COURSE
Sector representatives warn that while Turkey's prices are rising, service quality has remained stagnant or even declined in some areas. LMX Touristik Turkey Coordinator Serdar Bayraktar highlighted the losses in the European market in particular, saying, "The exchange rate no longer creates sufficient appeal. Better service can be obtained in Spain for the same money."
OFFICIAL DATA ALSO SHOWS A DECLINE
According to Ministry of Culture and Tourism data, the number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey in the first five months of the year remained at 17.8 million, 0.15% below last year. In May, the decline reached 1.8%. Double-digit losses were recorded in key markets such as Russia, Germany, and the UK. The months of July, August, and September, which are critical for sector representatives, are awaited with hope, but expectations remain weak.