Turkey’s key tourism sector slow to recover after huge earthquake

Hakan Saatcioglu expects his Antalya hotels will soon be full of tourists again after the government moved displaced earthquake survivors out.

Limak International Hotels & Resorts coordinator Saatcioglu is one of many in hospitality anticipating Turkey’s economically essential tourism sector to recover from a quake that lowered bookings and hotel stays.

Saarcioglu added that by sending quake survivors to guesthouses and dorms, “the government has kept its promise” and bolstered hoteliers’ hopes.

After the Feb. 6 earthquakes that killed more than 50,000 people, flattened towns and cities, and displaced hundreds of thousands, tourism has been slow to recover.

The quake has made travelers reconsider visiting Turkey, a popular Mediterranean vacation spot.

To combat high inflation and interest rates, President Erdogan needs tourism money to reduce the current account deficit, which was $48.8 billion last year.

The recovery has stalled. According to travel data provider ForwardKeys, two-night stays in Istanbul were down 7% two weeks before the earthquake but are now down 31%.

Olivier Ponti, ForwardKeys’ insights vice president, said fewer new reservations mean less revenue for travel professionals and the economy.

“After months of excellent performance, when the country was leading the travel recovery in Europe (after the COVID pandemic), international tourism to Turkey is clearly taking a nosedive,” he told Reuters.

After the outbreak ended, officials expected a successful year. In 2022, foreign visitors to Turkey rose 80% to 44.56 million, barely shy of the record 45.06 million in 2019.

Turkey has struggled to recover despite robust European vacation bookings.

“Bookings started robust but slowed after the quake. “Bookings have recovered a bit but have not reached their previous pace,” said Kadir Ugur, chairman of Germany and Switzerland-based Turkey tour operator Bentour Reisen.

“People are frightened when you say another big disaster is waiting in Istanbul.”

Tourism accounts for 10% of Turkey’s GDP and employs 1.7 million people (5% of total employment).

Coming elections
Tourists are also staying away due to fears of unrest during the historic May 14 election, in which President Tayyip Erdogan faces his largest electoral threat in two decades.

Kasim Zoto, chairman of Istanbul’s Armada Hotel, said he was “on edge” before the elections because the hotel offered free cancellations up to 48 hours before check-in and expected it to be used.

Even though hoteliers want guests, such cancellations would delay a rebound.

“Bookings recovered in April but the bookings for May, especially for the first two weeks of May, are low due to upcoming elections,” said Ali Kirli, head of Marmaris’ tourism commission, a popular Aegean beach location.

Tourism experts expect pre-earthquake travel numbers to return after elections, especially as peak summer travel demand to Turkey rises.

Resort hope
Since the epicentre was in the southern, inland city of Kahramanmaras, no coastal resorts were impacted, raising optimism for recovery fueled by a rush in Russian tourists.

The Antalya governorate reported a record 54% increase in foreign tourists to the Mediterranean resort in March. Data indicated Russians were foremost, followed by Germans and Britons.

After Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Turkey is one of the few nations Russians can fly to.

The Turkish government expects $56 billion in tourism receipts this year after these positive March numbers. The tourist minister predicted Ankara would meet its pre-earthquake objective despite the damage.

Travel-hungry Britons hoping to take advantage of lower prices abroad are expected to swarm to Turkey this summer.

“The depreciation of the Turkish lira and inflation in our European markets, especially Britain, make Turkey attractive for Europeans,” Kirli added.