Turkey is set to extend their 50 percent decrease in hotel rates after scores of accommodations have been left ‘empty’ due to a severe decline in tourism.
Earlier this year Turkey offered reduced rates in some popular resort hotels in a bid to entice more domestic and international tourists.
Visit Turkey exclusively told Express.co.uk that “some resorts have seen an increase in bookings as a result, but the full effectiveness of these discounts will be clearer towards the end of the season”.
They added: “The discounted rates are primarily being offered in popular resort areas such as Bodrum, Marmaris, and Antalya.
“These discounts are typically available during the peak summer months but may be extended depending on occupancy rates and market demand.”
Tourism numbers in Turkey have seen a sharp decline this year, however not is all bad as “the drop is not uniform across the country”.
Visit Turkey said: “Tourism levels have seen a noticeable decline this year compared to the same period last year. The drop is not uniform across the country, with some regions experiencing sharper declines than others, depending on their reliance on international versus domestic tourists.”
Soaring inflation has impacted travel budgets with many tourists abandoning Turkey and instead turning to cheaper destinations.
Restaurant and hotel prices rose by an average 91 percent in June from a year earlier, topping already eye-watering headline inflation of 71.6 percent.
Visit Turkey also admitted that the “favourable” Greece visa scheme available to Turks has played a massive impact.
On April 1, 2024, Greece launched visas on arrival for Turkish visitors and under this scheme Turkish citizens are entitled to visit 10 Greek islands with an express visa for up to seven days.
This has caused the number of Turkish tourists in Greece to surge.
During the first 10 days of April, the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodes combined welcomed 20,690 Turkish tourists, many of whom in previous years when it was trickier to secure visas are likely to have holidayed in their home country.
