Oya Narin, President of the Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TTYD) noted a decline of approximately 2.5% in the number of trips in domestic tourism, which is the sector's biggest supporter, while the number of overnight stays decreased by 12.5%. She stated that this decline might be due to economic fluctuations and price increases. Narin expressed her concern, saying, "Unfortunately, recently there has been a public perception that 'prices have risen too high,' 'domestic tourists can't vacation,' which saddens us. This perception puts us in a difficult position. Our sector serves 60 million tourists and generates 60 billion dollars in revenue, contributing significantly to the current account and budget balance. The hospitality sector is experiencing cost inflation, especially due to increases in food, beverage, and energy prices. We are trying to create a pricing structure by balancing these cost increases, but it is not entirely possible to reflect them."
Costs in tourism have risen significantly, we are seeking solutions
Narin pointed out that the profitability of the accommodation sector has decreased and emphasized the need for a macro-structural economic program to better control costs. She said, "In an environment of suppressed exchange rate policy and high inflation, we are looking for a solution by balancing costs. According to TÜİK's inflation calculations, restaurants and hotels are published together in the main expenditure group, but when broken down, we see that accommodation service prices have increased by 52% and food service prices by 95% compared to the previous year. The upcoming period of September, October, and November is critical for the tourism sector. Careful financial management and strategic planning are required during this period."
