Disappointing outlook
Despite nearing the middle of the season, hotel occupancy rates in Didim have not met expectations, according to Didim Tourism Association President Melih Koyuncu. While major hotels in the region achieved certain occupancy levels during the early booking period, Koyuncu noted that "Our medium and small-scale hotels managed to reach desired occupancy rates for only 4-5 days due to the demand created by the holiday period. The tourism sector made a promising start with the 9-day Eid al-Adha holiday from June 15-24. However, increasing costs in Türkiye are also affecting both domestic and foreign tourists. Despite approaching the middle of the season, our occupancy rates are still very low. Even at the beginning of July, when the season is expected to be at its peak, the situation in many places, especially in Bodrum, has been disappointing. Both domestic and foreign tourist numbers have seen significant declines," he said.
"Türkiye struggles to attract tourists due to high prices"
Koyuncu pointed out that prices in Türkiye are higher than in European destination, making it difficult for the country to attract tourists. "With rising costs, personnel expenses, and taxes, it seems very challenging to reduce prices. Based on the information we have received, we can say that the ongoing UEFA Euro 2024 from June 14 to July 14 has also slowed down the flow of reservations. We anticipate that last-minute sales after July 15 will bring bookings to the desired level, and that occupancy rates will increase in July, August, and the first half of September," he explained.
