Panic in Turkey as tourists abandon country - ‘too expensive’

A recent report has revealed that hotel occupancy in Turkey is down amid rising costs in the country. Turkey has been a favourite for many Brits for generations and became popular as an affordable sunny destination, often chosen over European hotspots like Spain and Portugal. There are multiple popular seaside resorts for tourists to visit as well as thriving large cities such as Istanbul and Ankara.

But visitor numbers are in decline, a report says, with fingers being pointed towards rising costs and the quality of entertainment options for visitors to the country. Tourism Review points out multiple industry reports that indicate a growing problem in Turkey's busy tourism sector, with prices in the country on par with the likes of Spain and Greece. The increase in accommodation prices is driven by input costs, the report states, and Antalya and Bodrum are among the destinations that have seen an increase in prices.

Family holidays in these resort destinations can now cost more than 150,000 Turkish lira, which is around £2,750. Meanwhile, a similar holiday in Greece might cost between £1,460 and £1830.

"The economic situation within Turkey is the primary cause of the problems that we are seeing in tourism," said Kıvanç Meriç, the Izmir President of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies. Arrivals of visitors into the country dropped by 0.15 % in the first five months of 2025 compared to 2024.

Meriç added: "Türkiye has lost its price advantage. Tourists are now choosing destinations where they get more value for the same money."

He explained that immediate action needs to be taken to tackle the issue as increased costs for businesses are being felt by tourists. Turkey has seen the most notable drop in visitors from Russia and Germany, as well as a smaller drop in tourists from England and Bulgaria.

Turkey is a go-to destination for affordable holidays, something that those in the tourism industry say is a strong position to have. Last year, Turkey surpassed Italy's visitor numbers, with a total of 56.7 million people visiting from abroad.

Alanya Touristic Business Owners Association (ALTID) President Burhan Sili told Türkiye Daily: "We must reconsider our price balance while maintaining quality. Otherwise, even if occupancy rates do not decrease, our profit margins may be seriously damaged. Rising costs and global competition require our sector to act more cautiously."

LMX Touristic Turkey General Coordinator Serdar Bayraktar added: "The exchange rate advantage is no longer sufficient and Turkey is perceived as an expensive country for foreign tourists. Tax rates on basic needs such as food, energy and cleaning products and price increases on imported products are increasing the costs of tourism businesses."