Occupancy warning.

Burhan Sili, Chairman of the Alanya Tourism Operators Association, stated, "The tendency of tourists to prefer nearby countries or to spend more holidays within their own countries is causing a contraction in international sea, sand, and sun tourism. The bankruptcy of 8 airline companies in the last 2 years has also had an impact on the decline we are experiencing."

The first of the 2019 Regional Consultation Meetings, organized by the Alanya Tourism Operators Association (ALTİD), was held in Okurcalar. The meeting, hosted by Justiniano Club Park Conti Hotel, addressed regional and general issues related to tourism, and explored solutions and projections for the future. The meeting was attended by ALTİD Chairman and member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), Burhan Sili, Chairman of the Alara Tourism Investors Association (ALTUYAB), Serdar Gür, board members, and tourism hotel operators.

‘NO NEED TO PANIC’

Chairman Sili, in his opening speech at the meeting, stated that there has been a significant increase in early booking reservations for the months of January, February, and March, compared to the previous year, for source markets in Russia and Europe. However, he noted that after mid-March, following the ITB Berlin, which is considered the "Tourism Fair" worldwide, the reservation rates slowed down. Sili also mentioned that May 2019 was closed with lower occupancy rates in Alanya compared to the same period in 2018. He said, "This decline should definitely not cause panic. Taking into account the high level of cost increases, and after consultations with tour operators and agencies, the purchasing power of potential guests in source markets, the price policies of competing countries, should be evaluated, and price reductions should be made in proportions that do not disrupt the balance between saleable prices and service quality." Chairman Sili stated that they anticipate that the expected demand will be re-established with last-minute reservations, as reservation requests have started to increase again recently.

‘BANKRUPTCIES AFFECT THE TOURISM INDUSTRY’

Sili emphasized that global and specific economic conditions and concerns in our source markets, global warming, and election processes in some of our source markets and in Turkey itself, have negatively impacted tourism. "In the first five months of the year, we have seen a decrease in demand for international holidays from our source markets, Germany and Russia. The contraction in the global tourism market, which we saw in 2019 with the 'sun, sand, and sea' holiday segment, is manifesting as tourists preferring nearby countries or a greater tendency to holiday within their own countries. The bankruptcy of 8 airlines in the last two years has also had a significant impact on this decline," she said.