Panic in Turkey as hotels ‘forced to close’ after tourists abandon country for Greece

Hotels in Turkey are set to be forced to close earlier than usual this year as occupancy rates plummet due to domestic tourists flocking to Greece, an industry insider has revealed.

Hamit Kuk, a leading advisor for the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, explained that some of the cheaper accommodation in holiday hotspots were only currently half-full despite it being peak season.

“The average room occupancy rate in hotels in Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and Antalya is currently around 80%,” he told the Express. 

“There are no empty hotels or resorts as [some reports have suggested but] room occupancy rates were 100% in previous years. 

“This year, since room occupancy rates dropped by 15 to 20% on average, the public has developed such a perception [that entire hotels are empty], but these are not true. 

“[However these] are the averages for the region. Some hotels are 100% full, [others] are 50-60% full. Hotels with low occupancy rates will close early. 

“[I expect] two and three-star hotels to close in October, four-star hotels to close in mid-October and five-star hotels to remain open until the end of October. [This is because] their occupancy is better and [they can continue] until the end of the season.” 

Kuk explained that the dates when hotels choose to shut their doors will depend on the area and he is expecting different parts of the country to stay open to tourists for different lengths of time.

“Some hotels in Bodrum and Marmaris may close in mid-October. But other hotels seem to stay open until the end of October. The situation is better in Antalya, many hotels will stay open until November 15,” he added.

The leading tourist industry advisor blamed inflation on the exodus of Turkish tourists to Greece, which changed its visa rules to make it easier for holidaymakers from its neighbour to travel for a break.

“The increasing costs worldwide after the pandemic caused inflation to rise,” Kuk added. 

“Increasing inflation reduced the purchasing power of consumers. Increasing costs and high inflation were much higher in our country. 

“The inflation rate exceeding 100% in Turkey caused exorbitant price increases. Hotel accommodation prices have also increased here. But this is a temporary situation, prices will return to normal when inflation in Turkey decreases. 

“It is natural that Turkish tourists prefer the cheaper Greek islands this year. But I think that when the economy in Turkey recovers, they will vacation on the most beautiful coasts of Turkey again next year.” 

According to Kuk, Brits have not been put off from holidaying in Turkey by the inflation thanks to the continued strength of the Pound against the Lira. 

“Although accommodation prices in Turkey increased this year, this increase did not affect British tourists much,” he said. 

“One of the most important reasons for this is the strong exchange rate of the Pound against the Turkish Lira. Despite everything, Turkey is still an attractive country for the British. We still have many advantages in terms of competition with other countries. 

“For example, the prices here are a little more expensive than last year, but the service quality is still the same. Turkish hospitality is better than other destinations. Holidaying in Turkey is still very attractive for the British.”