Exploring Travel and Leisure Industry - Affordable costs attract German tourists to visit Turkey.
Despite it not yet being peak season, the beach loungers in front of the large hotels in Aksu district, Antalya, Turkey, are already filled. The Aktob local tourism association is celebrating a record-breaking year with more Germans expected to visit Antalya than ever before, according to the Turkish Tourism Association Tursab. This isn't due to a decline in interest, but rather tight budgets and inflation.
Turkey has been a popular destination for German tourists for years, but its significance has increased even more compared to pre-pandemic times. The German Travel Association (DRV) predicts that regions like Greece and Turkey will account for 44% of the German tourism market this summer, an increase from 2019. By the end of March, Turkey experienced a 45% surge in summer bookings compared to the same time the previous year.
The DRV explains that Turkey offers a wide range of options, particularly in all-inclusive deals, which proves especially attractive in times of inflation and rising living costs. And that's what most Germans in Antalya prefer: A Tursab spokesperson states that the majority of Germans in Antalya chose establishments with all-inclusive offers.
One reason for the Turkey boom: The high value of the euro.
The Nill family from the surrounding area of Tübingen is preparing to return home: After a week of all-inclusive vacation in Antalya, the four-person family still wears their hotel bracelets. They discovered that Turkey had the best price-performance ratio. Friends Desirée and Natalie from Würzburg with three children also find Antalya attractive due to its family-friendly offerings and quality of products. They claim that you can't get the same quality elsewhere at such a low cost.
"Turkey is more popular than France in terms of online searches this year," according to Susanne Dopp, spokesperson for the travel platform Expedia. With many direct flights available from Germany, Turkey is easily accessible. In addition, guests can pick from various accommodation options, from premium 5-star hotels to more affordable selections. The most commonly used filters for German tourists interested in Turkey on Expedia are "all-inclusive," "5 stars," and "breakfast included." Another factor driving tourism in Turkey might be the high purchasing power of the euro.
Inflation has increased prices in Turkey: Turkish inflation in May was 75% higher than the previous year. Hotel and restaurant prices, on average, were 92% higher in local currency compared to May 2023. However, these costs haven't risen as significantly in euros. "For many Turks, a vacation in Antalya has become unaffordable," explains Kemal Birdir, professor at the University of Mersin. The influx of Russian and German tourists, on the other hand, can easily cover the costs, filling the hotels.
Tourism Minister Nuri Ersoy aims to attract seven million German tourists in 2024. Already in 2023, 6.2 million Germans vacationed in Turkey, with 81% of them visiting Antalya. Aktob, the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, predicts that four million Germans will visit Antalya this year. Given the expectations, this would set a record number. The Turkish tourism industry recovered from the pandemic in terms of visitor numbers, surpassing 2019 levels last year.
Mass tourism is yet to face criticism in Antalya.
"Antalya has become a driving force behind mass tourism," says Aktob CEO Kaan Kavaloğlu to dpa. Contrary to some destinations, there's no notable opposition. "Both our industry representatives and local citizens in the tourism regions are extremely satisfied with the level of tourism activity," remarks the Tourism Promotion Council (Türsab). The province of Antalya has the most 5-star hotels in the entire country. This correlates with a significant demand for labor in the tourism industry.
The lack of resistance is partly due to the importance of tourism in the region. In the summer, workers from all over Turkey travel to Antalya, providing a major economic boost for their village communities and supporting their families. Three million people worked in the tourism sector in the summer, accounting for roughly 11% of the total workforce. On average, each of the 56 million tourists spent about 900 euros in Turkey in 2023.
But, Birdir notes that a shift in the highly resource-demanding tourism sector in the country is imminent. "The criticism of mass tourism is increasing worldwide,"Turkey needs to take action too. "If there are no sustainability efforts, many destinations might not be available in the years to come." Some hotels have already chosen to go green. In the face of a weakening lira and rising inflation, tourism proves to be a profitable income source in the country, he adds, "It runs smoothly without any imports and purely utilizes local resources."
