Hoteliers called not to invest in Antalya

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet

Antalya accommodates 10.2 million tourists every year.

Tourism sector players have called on investors to stop establishing hotels in Turkey’s southern holiday destination of Antalya, which hosts more than 10 million tourists every year, as the province has become saturated with hotels and is now facing a substantial number of sales.

The sector is facing a boom in hotel transfers and closures just before the beginning of the summer season due to fierce competition in the tourism sector, particularly hitting five-star hotels which are sold at much lower rates than their expected value. The prices range between $200 million and $1 billion, with variations based on proximity to beaches, age of its buildings and the license and documents it holds.

Prominent sector representatives have criticized the exaggeration of investments in the holiday destination. 

“Everybody sees tourism as a lucrative business, but everything is not as it seems,” said Başaran Ulusoy, chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB). 

Antalya has become saturated with investments and the intense competition here troubles many businesspeople, he said, adding that the impressive number of 10.2 million tourists hosted in Antalya every year gave investors illusions. 

Some tourism representatives are calling on investors to stop building hotels in Antalya and start seeking opportunities in Anatolia.

“If there is to be a hotel built, it should be in Anatolia,” Timur Bayindir, the president of the Association of Hotel Owners in Turkey (TUROB) said. “Tourism is not just opening hotels. There is a need for touristic facilities.”

Asking the government to take some measures to stop hotel constructions in Antalya, Güral Porselen Chairman İsmet Güral had said that they were acting as if there was only Antalya in Turkey. “There are perfect Alanya and Mersin shores right behind Antalya which are neglected,” he said.