Holiday bookings start to pick up

Emre Eser - Istanbul

Holiday bookings have started to pick up at the end of March after both local and foreign holidaymakers either delayed or cancelled travel plans in the wake of the devastating earthquakes in early February.

People from the tourism industry said that the holiday season this year will start with the Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The Eid holiday will take place between April 21 and April 23.

They also noted that local travelers are mostly buying cultural tourism tour packages, which became a more attractive alternative after hotel prices and plane tickets soared in the past two years. Those packages include travel and accommodation expenses.

Local travelers show strong interest in tours in the Balkan countries and Egypt abroad and the Black Sea region and Cappadocia in Türkiye.

Tourism activities in popular destinations will gain momentum after the May elections, according to people from the tourism industry.

“We are already seeing some activity in the Mediterranean and Aegean [regions], but activity will get a real boost at the end of May. For the time being, there is strong demand for cultural tours abroad and domestic destinations,” said Ali Onaran, the board chair of Prontotour, adding that people prefer package tours due to their affordability.

Demand for tours in the Balkan countries for the Eid holiday leaped 50 percent, according to Onaran. “Those destinations are cheaper and there are no visa requirements. Those are the main reasons behind the strong interest from local travelers.”

People shifted their travel plans, which they either delayed or cancelled because of the earthquakes, to the Eid holiday, Onaran said.

Tours for one-night stay in the province of Edirne, Cappadocia and Yedigöller - Seven Lakes - cost around 1,900 Turkish Liras (around $100), while such packages for Gökçeada and Bozcaada are sold for 2,300 liras. The price of a three-day tour to the district of Marmaris, and villages in the Aegean region starts from 3,500 liras per person.

Travelers can buy a four-day tour package to Prague for 380 euros while eight-day tours to the Balkan destinations cost 530 euros.