Russians’ holiday bookings for Türkiye on rise

ISTANBUL

Russian tourists’ bookings for holidays in Türkiye, especially in Antalya, have increased by 20 percent in the past few weeks compared with April and May, Turkish daily Milliyet has reported.

Russian holidaymakers had delayed vacation plans due to the ongoing war and elevated inflation which eroded their purchasing power. Russians were looking for alternative destinations to Türkiye.

Holiday costs also increased in Türkiye, which also kept Russian travelers away from the country.

However, in June, Russians started to return to Türkiye as they were not very satisfied with the services they received in other countries.

Tourism activity was slow particularly in May, acknowledged Recep Yavuz from the Antalya City Council’s tourism working group.

“Higher prices [in Türkiye] put additional burden on Russian tourists as the ruble has significantly lost its value,” he said.

Yavuz, however, is confident that Russian tourist arrivals in the Mediterranean province will bounce back. He predicts that some 3 million Russian holidaymakers will visit the city this year. Before the war and the COVID-19 pandemic, some 5.5 million Russians used to vacation in Antalya.

According to data from tour operators Russians’ holiday bookings have risen by 20 percent compared with the previous months, Yavuz said.

“Despite all the economic troubles they face, Türkiye remains the favorite holiday destination for Russians… Türkiye is an irreplaceable holiday destination for them.”

Rıza Perçin, the chair of the Mediterranean region branch of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB), agreed that Russians are experiencing hardships, including the ongoing war, higher inflation, embargoes, which force Russian travelers to take longer flights. “In addition to this, hotel prices in Türkiye have risen.”

But, still, Russian tourist arrivals are picking up again, he said.

Perçin estimated that some 700,000 Russian holidaymakers came to Antalya this year. “They make a great contribution to the local economy more than any other foreign vacationers.”