Turkey tourism: Why hotels for Turkey dey empty? – BBC News Pidgin

For di Turkey waterside along di Mediterranean Sea, beach dem wey pack full like sardine without space to throw one single towel na common tin during summer.

Although official statistics dey suggest say tourism revenue for di second quarter of di year don increase by 12% and di number of tourists by 15% compare to last year, di growth of Turkey tourism sector don slow down.

“For di first time in years, we dey see significant vacancies for hotels for di month of July,” Mehmet Gem from TUKONFED, one tourism consumers confederation, tok.

Gem say di hotel occupancy rate, dat na di percentage of hotel rooms wey dey occupied per time, reach 60%, di highest.

For Turkey, dis number dey normally dey around 90-95% during peak season for summer.

Since di end of Covid restrictions, di number of foreign tourists worldwide dey increase every year.

But di increase slow for Turkey compared to oda destinations for di Mediterranean as e be like say foreign tourists prefer cheaper alternatives.

Also, hyperinflation for Turkey don prevent pipo for di kontri from going on holidays due to di cost-of-living crisis, wey dey cause fewer hotel reservations.

Official inflation rate for Turkey currently dey around 61,8%.

Nur Duman na owner of hotel for Cesme, one popular holiday destination for di west of Turkey.

“I bin only fit full my rooms becos di hotel near waterside,” she say. “Oda hotels wey dia location dey inside dey struggle. All of us get to cut down di price of room, and electricity and oda costs don go up.”

Even Turkish diaspora wey dey live for Europe wey dey sometimes travel back home for dia holidays no choose to come to Turkey, Nur believe.

According to Turkish officials, di major sports events wey happun for Europe dis summer bin play part for di slowdown in di increase of tourist numbers for Turkey.

Germany host Euro 2024, UEFA European Football Championship from 14 June to 14 July dis year and more dan anoda 600,000 foreign tourists bin visit di kontri for di tournament.

Paris welcome over 11.2 million tourists during di three weeks of hosting di 2024 Olympics.

Acknowledging di effect of dis sports events, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy say di increase for di number of tourists go continue dey slower until September.

But den, we go still get increase for di number of pipo wey dey come to Turkey, im say.

“Current figures dey suggest say we fit achieve or even pass our target of 60 million visitors by di end of di year, wit increase of 6%,” di minister argue.

Ersoy claim say Greece decision to ease visa restrictions for Turkish citizens also contribute to di lower hotel occupancy rates for several resort towns.

Earlier dis year, Greek authorities introduce one visa-express scheme, wey dey allow tourists from Turkey to obtain visas upon arrival for ten Greek islands for di Aegean Sea.

As a result, local interest for dis destinations don increase, wit many social media users wey dey suggest say Greek islands dey cheaper dan Turkey despite di exchange rate.

Reports dey suggest say goment don dey try to fight inflation by suppressing di exchange rate.

“Di increase for di exchange rate don remain far below di increase in costs, leading to a rise in holiday prices, especially in accommodation,” Firuz Bağlıkaya, head of TURSAB, one Turkish tourism association tok.

Tarkan Akyuz, na hotel owner and di head of di hotel owners platform for Istanbul historical centre agree say tourists wey dey come from mainly Balkan or Arabic kontris prefer Greece over Turkey, complaining from high costs of textile or food.

“We no dey make any money, and we just dey thankful if we fit cover di expenses. Compared to last year, our costs don triple, while our profit remain di same,” im say.

Many social media accounts don share bills from di Greek Islands, claiming say dem dey show lower prices compared to Turkey.

One user for X, claim say dem stay for di Greek island of Lesbos for four nights for di price of one night for Ayvalik, di Turkish resort town just across di Aegean.

“Dis luxurious place near di seaside for Chios Island,” one art critic bin comment for one foto wey im in post. “Prices dey so cheap. E dey almost free here, compared to Turkey.”

“Prices for Samos Island na half of wetin dem be for Bodrum [just across di sea],” one Turkish actor tok for one review, “E dey sad for our kontri.”

Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Dubai don also dey more appealing to international tourists as prices for Turkey bin increase, according to tourism experts.

Along wit di high prices, several reports of tourists wey dem dey scam for di resort towns fit also get hand for di choice wey foreign travelers dey make.

Last month, one company for Antalya, one holiday destination for south of Turkey, spark one major controversy afta e charge one tourist 1,200 liras ($35; £27) for two glasses of pomegranate juice.

Thanks to di intervention of di local authorities, dem refund di tourist.

Bad reputation wey dis kain behaviour dey cause for instance di recent -though brief- banning of social media platform Instagram, dey add to di problems of tourism industry, Tarkan Akyuz, wey dey represent 400 hotels for Istanbul historical centre, tok.

“Previously, we fit foresee our future. Now we dey worried,” im tok.