A significant increase in both domestic and international travel demand for Türkiye has been observed, according to a chief financial officer of an online platform selling plane tickets on Monday, who highlighted the trend is expected to continue into the winter season.
Biletbayisi.com CFO Ömer Kodet noted that they are seeing strong signals that the rise in the tourism sector will continue through the 2024 winter season. He highlighted that Biletbayisi.com offers a wide range of services, such as airline tickets, car rentals, and bus tickets, to meet the increasing demand.
Kodet pointed out that the demand for travel to Türkiye from abroad has increased by 35% compared to previous years.
“Türkiye is attracting more interest each year from tourists from various regions due to its broad range of tourism options,” he said.
“Especially with our historical, cultural, and natural riches, the demand for summer and winter tourism is growing in a balanced way,” he added.
As the winter season approaches, Kodet mentioned that interest in ski resorts and thermal facilities is intensifying. “The increasing demand for winter tourism highlights Türkiye’s leading ski destinations, including Erzurum Palandöken, Kayseri Erciyes and Bursa Uludağ. We observe that international tourists prefer these areas for their winter vacations,” Kodet explained.
He also emphasized that there has been significant activity in domestic flights, with domestic ticket sales on Biletbayisi.com increasing by 40% compared to previous years.
“The changes in travel habits and the revival of domestic tourism are leading to an increase in travel, particularly during weekends and public holidays,” he said.
“While cities like Istanbul, Izmir, Antalya and Trabzon continue to see strong demand year-round, we are also observing a significant increase in flights to destinations like Erzurum and Kayseri during the winter season.”
Moreover, Kodet pointed out that Biletbayisi.com offers its users the opportunity to find the most affordable flight tickets with a wide range of price options.
Regarding airline ticket prices for the 2024 season, he said: “The most affordable flight ticket is offered at TL 499 ($14.6) for the Istanbul-Izmir route. This route, which is frequently chosen between Istanbul and Izmir, is in high demand both for business and tourism travel.”
“The most expensive flight ticket is sold for TL 198,450 on the New York-Erzurum route,” he added.
Kodet also noted that higher-priced tickets offer premium services and that travel patterns are shaped by winter season demand, especially the heavy demand for popular ski destinations like Erzurum, which can cause price fluctuations in different service classes and routes.
He also pointed out that flight ticket sales, car rental, and bus ticket reservations have increased. Kodet explained that tourists wishing to reach ski resorts during the winter months are turning to car rental services, particularly for transportation from airports to ski resorts, while also observing a growing trend in bus ticket sales.
Türkiye aims to welcome 60 million tourists by the end of the year, which would generate $60 billion in tourism revenue.
