Winter break boosts demand for ski resorts

ISTANBUL

Hoteliers in Türkiye’s main ski resorts are optimistic that occupancy rates will be around 100 percent during the school break, which will start on Jan. 19.

Many people are expected to go on vacation during the winter break, which will give a boost to local tourism activity. The country’s ski resorts will be one of the main beneficiaries of the short break.

Last year, the winter school break was a disappointment for hoteliers at those destinations. Due to mild weather and the lack of snow, holidaymakers kept away from ski resorts.

The picture is, however, different this time round. The country’s major ski resorts are now enjoying heavy snowfall and strong demand from families with children.

Tours for ski resorts are already 70 percent booked, said the people from the industry, adding that the occupancy rate at the facilities and hotels in those destinations is expected to climb to 100 percent during the winter break.

The snow depth is around 50 centimeters at Uludağ and most of the facilities are opening doors to vacationers, said Burak Beceren from GÜMTOB, a hotel-owners association.

“The demand is strong for ski reports. We are expecting hotels to be 100 percent full this weekend,” he said.

Some holidaymakers are also booking for ski resorts in Bulgaria, Romania and Austria, according to Ali Onaran, the board chair of Prontotour.

The cost of a five-night stay at a hotel in the most popular ski resort Uludağ, in the northwestern province of Bursa, for a family of three ranges between 42,000 Turkish Liras ($1,396) to 113,000 liras.

In Palandöken in the eastern province of Erzurum continues a similar vacation will cost between 28,000 liras to 113,000 liras, while in Erciyes in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri the price tag will be somewhere between 44,000 liras to 94,000 liras.