Vacation trends shift as cultural, nature tours surge in popularity

Özge Esen - ISTANBUL

Preferences have changed during this summer vacation due to both high hotel prices and climate conditions.

Sector representatives said those who cannot go to popular vacation destinations such as Çeşme and Bodrum due to high prices this year prefer cultural tours, which provide price advantages.

"In the summer period, plateau, nature, adventure and cultural tours were among the vacation preferences of our citizens,” said Firuz Bağlıkaya, president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB).

“The Black Sea was very popular in this regard. However, Cappadocia, Afyonkarahisar and Pamukkale are also among our destinations that attract attention," he added.

Tourism professionals said that there was a 25 percent increase in travel to the Central Black Sea region of Samsun-Sinop-Giresun during the summer period and emphasized the price advantage.

"The average price of an all-inclusive hotel in Antalya for seven nights and eight days is 100,000 Turkish Liras, whereas in cultural tours, the price is almost half, around 55,000-60,000 liras,” said one tour operator.

The high prices of holiday regions with sea, sand and sun and the high climate cycle have started to change vacation preferences, but there are also other factors, according to TÜRSAB Cultural Tourism Specialization President İlham Seyyale.

“Turkish people realized the value of their country, started to recognize its history and turned to these places,” he said.

“At the same time, after the pandemic, people started to be interested in walking tours or short trips, which we call nature and adventure, because people move together in small groups.”

Seyyale added that those who prefer the cultural tours also have the chance to know different cultures and taste the local cuisine.

He also said that the accommodation capacity of the alternative tourism regions should be increased.

“Compared to last year, the number of domestic tourists in the Eastern Black Sea region has decreased, while the number of foreign tourists has increased,” he said.

“The reason for the decrease of domestic tourists is the accommodation problem. In particular, Middle Eastern clients are filling hotels, while domestic groups are having difficulty finding beds for their tours to the region. Therefore, they reduce the number of tours.”

Seyyale emphasized that hotel occupancy in the region is currently between 70-85 percent and that demand will increase even more as the number of hotels increases.

Seyyale explained that the demand is currently in the Black Sea region, and that the Southeastern Anatolian region will come to the fore when autumn comes and the rains start in the country’s north.

He also noted that the demand for Cappadocia tours is always high, noting a difference between the preferences of tourists visiting the region.

“Turkish citizens want to stay in more natural settings, such as cave hotels, while foreigners prefer four- or five-star facilities,” Seyyale said.