Huge hotel occupancy rate in Istanbul

The official figures were made public by Governor Ali Yerlikaya, as the city experienced a significant tourism growth starting 2022. Russians were the predominant visitors in Istanbul, followed by tourists from Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the US.

Aydın Karacabay, head of the hotels’ commission at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) commented:

“We expect occupancy to remain at 90 percent in October and the rate is already 60 percent for November and 45 percent for December. [...]

“Hoteliers in the city are happy with strong bookings for 2023. The number of foreign tourists is likely to increase significantly in the first quarter. [...]

“Most of the visitors are currently from Europe with German and British tourists on the rise. People from the Middle Eastern countries also continue to come to the city.”

Nevertheless, hotel prices are expected to boom by 20 percent in 2023, as accommodation currently costs an average of 120 euros per night. Commissions by booking platforms is also exorbitant, as some of the businesses charge as much as 15 to 50 percent per reservation, which is a problem for many tourists aiming to visit the country.

“Prices are still not at the desired levels, but the current prices are acceptable for holidaymakers from western countries.

“We are working to introduce a cap on commissions just like authorities did in Europe,” Karacabay added.

However, a slight decrease in tourism is forecasted for 2024 for Turkey.

 

source: breakingtravelnews.com