Türkiye top Easter holiday destination for Germans

BERLIN

Türkiye has emerged as the top travel destination for Germans during the Easter holiday, attracting the highest number of tourists from Germany, according to a travel association.

According to the German Travel Association (DRV), Türkiye accounts for 17 percent of all package tour sales, placing it at the top of the list.

Last year, when Easter fell in March, the Canary Islands were the most preferred destination.

This year, Egypt follows Türkiye with 14 percent, while the Canary Islands hold third place with 12 percent. Spain’s Balearic Islands rank fourth at 8 percent and Greece rounds out the top five with 5 percent, highlighting the preference of German holidaymakers for sunny destinations.

In line with data from the association, representatives of the Turkish hospitality industry have reported strong domestic and international tourism activity during the Easter holiday.

“Bookings from Europe for the Easter holiday look very promising,” said İsmail Çağlar, a manager at a five-star hotel, weeks before the holiday.

The Easter holiday will start on April 7 and continue until April 25.

 Season’s first cruise ship arrives in Bodrum

The cruise season in the southwestern city of Muğla’s Bodrum, one of the country’s renowned coastal destinations, has officially begun with the arrival of the ship Astoria Grande.

The Palau-flagged vessel, measuring 193 meters in length and 32 meters in width, docked at Bodrum Cruise Port on the morning of April 3 after departing from Amasra Harbor in Bartın.

The vessel carries 756 passengers and 432 crew members and will continue its journey to Marmaris, another preferred tourism destination in the city. 

Bodrum Cruise Port remains on the radar of world-famous luxury cruise companies. The cruise season is set to last until mid-November, with multiple scheduled visits from cruise lines such as Aroya Cruises’ Aroya with 13 sailings, Marella Cruises’ Marella Discovery-2 with 13 sailings and Virgin Voyages’ Resilient Lady with 11 sailings.

This season, Bodrum is expected to host a total of 120 cruise ships and 158,500 passengers.