Occupancy rates near 90 percent seen in hotels

Cappadocia, on the UNESCO World Heritage List, hosts an increasing number of tourists every year thanks to a tourism season that continues for 12 months.

Tourism professionals in the region, which hosted approximately 4 million 500 thousand visitors in the 11-month period of 2023, aim to increase the number of tourists in the new year.

"WE HAVE REACHED NEARLY 90 PERCENT OCCUPANCY IN HOTELS"

Talip Aldemir, a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), stated that the quiet period seen in the first half of the year due to the February 6 earthquakes gave way to intensity as of June.

Reminding that a visitor record was broken in the region in 2023, Aldemir continued as follows:

"As tourism professionals, we think 2023 was a good year, and the numbers already show us this. Entering 2024, we reached nearly 90 percent occupancy in hotels in the Cappadocia region for the New Year. We accept this as an indicator for 2024. I think that if there is no extraordinary situation in the coming year, we will exceed this, break new records in tourism, and make great contributions to the country's economy. If we talk about sea, sand, and sun tourism, we can find it all over the world, or we can see many structures that are 60, 500, or 1000 years old. But here, there is a 60-million-year history, natural formations, and we are in a region where many activities can be done. A unique history that does not exist anywhere else in the world lies here."

İsmail Sucu, Vice President of the TÜRSAB Domestic Tourism Specialization, also stated that the promotional activities of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism have reflected positively on tourism.

Noting that Turkey and regional tourism gained momentum in 2023, Sucu said, "I believe that as long as there is no element in the world that will negatively affect tourism, the trend of our Turkey and the Cappadocia region will continue to rise even further. In Cappadocia, in addition to cultural tourism, work is also being done on other activities, sports activities, and entertainment tourism. These also have a multiplier effect. With activities, especially hot air ballooning, Cappadocia possesses a tourism resource that can attract every segment," he said.

"WE EXPECT MORE INTENSITY FOR THE COMING YEAR"

Fatmanur Cingil, one of the tourism professionals in the region, said that they are experiencing the excitement and honor of closing the 100th anniversary of the Republic with a record.

Stating that they generally host guests from the USA, Mexico, Spain, and Asian countries in their facilities, Cingil said, "The year 2023 was busier than previous years. The intensity increased especially in the summer season. This year was like medicine for us; we have started to rise. We expect more intensity for the coming year," she said.

News Source: 12punto