Turkish tourists are flocking to Greece because inflation makes traveling around Turkey too expensive.
Inflation in Turkey has risen sharply in recent months, rocketing to 75.4 percent in May, mainly due to rising prices in hotels, cafes and restaurants.
“This problem actually started last year when the Turkish government took steps to suppress foreign currency,” Kıvanç Meriç, chairman of the Izmir Regional Representative Council of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), told Euronews Travel.
“This led to an overvaluation of the Turkish lira inflationary environment,” he explains.
“On the domestic market, our citizens have the opportunity to travel abroad at a lower price. At home, the price of hotels remains high.”
Hoteliers “don’t raise prices for higher profits,” Meriç emphasizes. “On the contrary, our prices are also increasing due to high costs.”
The crisis is not only affecting domestic travel in Turkey.
“I have to say that there is a serious problem Turkeyalso the number of foreign tourists,” says Meriç.
“While Turkey it was in the leading position in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region, with its services and quality of hotels, it lost this position due to its price disadvantage.”
A grim picture for hotels in Turkey
According to Meriç, it is usually impossible to find a hotel room in Turkey’s main holiday resorts in July or August.
Occupancy rates are typically 90 to 95 percent in popular destinations along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. But same thing this year hotels they are lucky if they are 80 percent occupied.
These hotels also cannot depend on the seasons. While many Mediterranean destinations receive tourists from May to October, the season is much shorter Turkey.
“The Turkish tourism sector is making money main season. He doesn’t make money in April, May, September and October,” says Meriç. “The main earning period is from mid-June to mid-September. We are now in the middle of July and we still haven’t reached the required occupancy level.”
Hotel costs aren’t the only deterrent for travelers. Tickets to the archaeological sites of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism have also become more expensive.
“In Türkiye the entrance fee for archaeological sites are calculated in euros,” explains Meriç. “While it used to be possible to enter the ancient city of Ephesus for €15, now it costs €40.”
ADVERTISEMENTAs a result, “cultural tours are dying,” he says. “Customers of cultural tours, especially travelers from remote regions, have begun to prefer other countries such as Egypt.”
Where in Greece is popular among Turks?
Meriç goes on to say that the Turks decided to travel to Greece and Balkan countries because hotels are cheaper there.
He says the Greek island of Samos, separated from Türkiye by a strait just one mile wide, is particularly popular with Turkish tourists.
“There is a serious boom here. While 35,000 to 40,000 people traveled to Samos last year, this year the expectation is about 100,000 to 150,000 people.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe island of Lesbos, also just off the coast of Türkiye, is also busy with Turkish tourists. It is known for its history, beautiful beaches and popularity LGBTQ+ passengers.
Lesvos was particularly busy during the three-day weekend in Türkiye this month, when queues formed at the border.
Do Turks need a visa to Greece?
Part of Greece’s appeal to Turkish travelers is a new visa regime announced this April.
Opens at 10 greek islands to Turkish passport holders for up to one week without having to apply for full access to the EU Schengen area.
ADVERTISEMENTAll the islands in the visa program are located near the Turkish coast. These include Lesbos, Limnos, Chios, Samos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi and Kastellorizo.
Previously, Turkish visitors faced a lengthy visa process through the Greek consulate in Izmir.
The new visa, which is issued at participating Greek ports, costs €60 per passenger and includes a passport checking and recording fingerprints.