Students back to school after mid-term break
ANKARA
Approximately 20 million students across Türkiye have returned to school following the nine-day first mid-term break of the 2024-2025 academic year.
After a restful break and time for preparation, students are now returning to their desks with renewed energy and fresh goals, ready to focus on their academic studies over the next two months before the next semester break.
As students returned to school on the first day of the week, Istanbul experienced traffic gridlock on main roads in several areas on Nov. 18.
On the Asian side of the province, traffic backed up on the highway between Kartal and Kadıköy in both directions.
The Eurasia Tunnel, the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, the 15 July Martyrs’ Bridge and the roadways connected to these passages caused challenges for vehicles traveling from the Asian side to the European side.
The city's overall traffic density increased to 65 percent, whereas the European and Asian sides had traffic densities of 58 percent and 76 percent, respectively.
Mid-term break boosts tourism activity in Antalya
Occupancy rates at the Antalya hotels climbed to around 70 percent as schools across Türkiye organized camps at the city’s hotels during the brief break, providing students with a fruitful opportunity to engage in a mix of educational and recreational activities.
During the midterm break, students both rested and studied in designated hotel spaces across the province.
“You may still swim in Antalya at the moment. Our kids had the chance to both learn and have a holiday while staying at our hotels. Additionally, our hotels embraced a teaching environment. They have discovered excellent sources of amusement, too,” said Kaan Kavaloğlu, the president of the Mediterranean Touristic Hoteliers’ and Investors’ Association (AKTOB).
Since the winter vacation season has not yet begun, there is a greater demand for hotels at present, Kavaloğlu further pointed out.
Florists see increase in demand as Teachers’ Day approaches
Florists across Antalya are receiving growing orders with the approaching of Teachers' Day on Nov. 24, a sector representative has pointed out.
“Together with our teammates, we began preparing. Persistent items such as terrariums are popular among the orders we have received thus far,” said İsmail Bakaç, a flower store owner and the president of the Antalya Florists Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, bouquets are also among the frequently requested products for teachers, he noted.
Bakaç further revealed information on the prominent flowers in November. "November's flowers include roses, gerber daisies and chrysanthemums. These are great options for anyone who wish to purchase flowers this month.”
Despite the increase in demand, they still anticipate a 10 percent drop in sales from the previous year as Teachers' Day falls on a Sunday this year, Bakaç pointed out.