Istanbul tourism awaits UEFA final

Aysel Alp- ISTANBUL

The tourism sector in Istanbul is preparing for the UEFA Champions League Final to be played at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on June 10, with expections that about 50,000 fans will arrive in the city.

Hoteliers who reported mediocre earnings during April and May, the peak months for Istanbul tourism, due to the deadly Feb. 6 quakes, are locked on the UEFA Champions League Final.

Stating that reservations have already started, Aydın Karacabey, former chairman of the ITO Hotel Management Committee and chairman of the Board of Levni Hotels, said they expect nearly 50,000 football fans to come to Istanbul for the final with an average stay of two nights.

Noting that the match is a great opportunity for tourism in Istanbul and Türkiye, Karacabey said the visitor profile traveling for the Champions League usually consists of Europeans from the middle- and upper-income groups, and for this reason, they estimate that each football fan will spend an average of 1,000-1,500 euros during their stay.

Karacabey stated that they expect all hotels around the Olympic Stadium and the Historical Peninsula, especially in the Silivri district, to be full.

Noting that the final, which will be broadcast live in hundreds of countries and watched by over 1 billion people, is of great importance for the promotion of Istanbul, Karacabey said thanks to this promotion, tourists from all over the world could come to Istanbul after the final as well.

“As the social media posts of these people and what they tell their close circles when they return are very valuable, if they return home without any unrest or problems, the contribution of this experience to Istanbul tourism will continue to increase. In addition, the advertising value of this final is much higher. The contribution to Istanbul’s tourism by being associated with the sports agenda will be in the range of 100 million euros,” he added.

Accommodation prices are also expected to increase during the final week as hotels in Istanbul prepare for the finals.

“The nightly price in four- and five-star hotels is currently 150-200 euros. We estimate that these prices will not be less than 300-400 euros during the final week,” he said.