TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Turkey has been one of the favorite destinations for global travelers. The history-rich country offers more affordable vacation costs than other European countries. However, European tourists are beginning to abandon Turkey due to what are considered high prices.
A recent report cited by Express.co.id revealed that hotel occupancy in Turkey has declined amid the rising costs in the country. Tourism Review shows several industry reports indicating that the tourism sector in Turkey is busy due to the prices in the country being on par with Spain and Greece, and even surpassing Dubai.
Rising Accommodation Costs
According to the report, accommodation prices have increased, driven by input costs. Antalya and Bodrum are among the destinations that have experienced price hikes.
A family vacation in these tourist destinations can now cost over 150,000 Turkish lira, or around Rp61 million. Meanwhile, a similar vacation in Greece may cost between 1,460 and 1,830 euros, or around Rp32 million to Rp40.5 million.
Kvanç Meriç, Izmir President of the Association of the Turkish Travel Agencies, said that the economic situation in Turkey is the primary cause of the issues seen in tourism.
Inflation and the increasing service costs have squeezed profit margins, forcing businesses to pass on these additional costs to their customers. Industry players have reported an increasing number of complaints from international visitors about Turkey being too expensive, raising concerns that the country's appeal might be fading.
"Turkey has lost its price advantage. Tourists are now choosing destinations where they get more value for the same money," he said.
Foreign Tourists in Turkey
Last year, Turkey surpassed the number of visitors to Italy, with a total of 56.7 million people visiting from abroad. Citing Travel and Tour World, the arrival of foreign tourists to the country slipped by 0.15 percent to 17.78 million in the first five months of 2025 compared to 2024.
In May 2025 alone, there was a drop of 1.81 percent compared to the same period in 2024. Significant declines were seen in major markets: visitors from Russia decreased by 5.2 percent to 1.72 million, while arrivals from Germany dropped by 18.1 percent, totaling 597,348. Other countries, such as Bulgaria and the UK also showed a decrease in the number of visitors.
President of the Alanya Touristic Business Owners Association (ALTID), Burhan Sili, told Türkiye Daily that the country must reconsider the balance of prices while maintaining quality. "Otherwise, even if occupancy rates do not decrease, our profit margins may be seriously damaged. Rising costs and global competition require our sector to act more cautiously," he said.
General Coordinator of LMX Touristic Turkey, Serdar Bayraktar, added that the exchange rate advantage is no longer sufficient. Turkey is now considered an expensive country for foreign tourists. "Tax rates on basic needs such as food, energy and cleaning products and price increases on imported products are increasing the costs of tourism businesses," he said.
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