The decision to grant administrative leave to public employees for 1.5 days prior to the Ramadan holiday has invigorated the tourism sector.
Izmir, Turkey – Mehmet İşler, Vice President of the Turkey Hoteliers Federation (TÜROFED), told AA correspondent that the extension of the holiday to 9 days has brought satisfaction to the tourism sector.
İşler noted that reservations slowed down in February and March due to Ramadan and elections, mentioning that the extended holiday, combined with an interim break, especially allows for holiday planning outside of the city.
Highlighting the immediate effects of the decision made yesterday, İşler emphasized a movement of about 10% in reservations, expecting an increase of around 15% compared to last year’s holiday period. He stated, “During this 9-day Ramadan holiday period, we anticipate a movement of 5 billion Turkish liras in the Aegean Region and a potential generated from these travels that will lubricate the wheels of the economy.”
İşler also pointed out that the tourism season will kick off with this holiday, stating, “The tourism sector, which usually begins in May, will be advanced by a month with this 9-day holiday.”
“We can break another record” İşler stated that holiday reservations are generally made for 4 or 5 days, with the remaining days planned for visiting elderly relatives.
Regarding the current occupancy rates in hotels, İşler explained that they are around 60%, adding, “With this decision, we expect 100% occupancy especially in facilities that meet the expectations of guests.”
İşler indicated that the tourism sector aims to surpass itself every year, saying, “In 2023, we achieved the best figure of all time. The new goal is to surpass the previous figures in 2024. If everything goes as expected, 2024 will be the record year of all time. This is best evidenced by the fact that both New Year’s and semester breaks went very well this year. The flow of foreign reservations is going very smoothly. Considering that we will open the season a month earlier, the tourism sector can break another record in 2024.”
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç