Turkiye’s popular tourism destinations, renowned for their picturesque landscapes and captivating attractions, are bracing themselves for an unprecedented surge in tourism during the upcoming nine-day Qurban Bayram (Eid al-Adha) holiday. Boasting an astounding 585,000 reservations and anticipating an influx of approximately 2 million visitors, the region is poised to witness an extraordinary milestone in its tourism history.
According to Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) President Firuz Bağlıkaya, they expect 2 million people to book vacations in Turkiye during this holiday season.
Pointing out that there is a high interest in coastal destinations and cultural tours in the country, Bağlıkaya said that the demand for the Aegean and Mediterranean regions in the country is mainly concentrated in Alanya, Side, Belek, Kemer and Kaş in southern Antalya province; while the Kuşadası, Didim, Bodrum, Marmaris and Fethiye districts are preferred in the Aegean region.
Explaining that there is also some interest in cultural tours in Cappadocia as well as the northern Aegean coastline and the Black Sea areas, Bağlıkaya noted that there is a rising demand for the Sapanca, Bolu and Abant regions as famous holiday destinations closest to Istanbul.
Bağlıkaya said that visa-free destinations come to the fore, and Balkan tours and Greek islands are among the most in-demand in international tours.
“It is extremely important for our citizens to purchase their holidays from TÜRSAB member travel agencies to avoid any unjust treatment. Especially with the development of digital booking platforms, incidents of abuse and forgery are encountered more frequently. Such situations increase even more during periods of high demand such as holidays and peak travel seasons,” Bağlıkaya warned.
Tourism expert Recep Yavuz stated that the increase of the bayram holiday to nine days changed the minds of hundreds of thousands of people who were not initially planning to go on a vacation.
Yavuz also pointed out that the prices have doubled compared to last year due to increasing costs of accommodation and transportation prices.
“Some luxury hotels will already be full, but the demand for more affordable hotels will increase,” he added.
Meanwhile, the cruise ship Mein Schiff brought thousands of tourists to Bodrum yesterday. The ship, which set sail from the Greek island of Crete, anchored at Bodrum Ship Berthing Pier with 2,539 passengers and 907 staff, most of whom were German.