Turkey tourism collapses: price explosion and confusion among travelers!

Turkey tourism collapses: price explosion and confusion among travelers!

Bodrum, Türkei - The Turkish tourism industry is facing a mixed season: after the record year of 2024, when 62.27 million tourists visited Turkey, the current figures for 2025 show a decline in bookings. In Bodrum in particular, visitor numbers fell by 5.02 percent in July. The Soester Anzeiger reports that the hotel association POYD and its representative Yiğit Girgin see the causes in geopolitical tensions as well as the see increased marketing campaigns from competing destinations such as Egypt.

Despite these challenges, the industry is experiencing a busy season, but not to the extent hoped for. In the first half of 2025, 26.4 million international guests arrived, an increase of 1 percent compared to the previous year. Tourism income rose by 7.6 percent to 22 billion euros. However, these positive signals come against the backdrop of dramatically increased inflation: hotel and restaurant prices in Turkey have risen by 34.16 percent compared to the previous year.

Expensive is becoming a trend

The rising prices are having a noticeable impact on bookings from Germany. In June 2025, the costs of hotels, restaurants and similar services rose by around 36 percent, which, according to travel agencies and online portals, led to a decline in bookings of around 10 percent for the Turkish Riviera. Tagesschau emphasizes that the high inflation of currently 35 percent, which experts estimate to be twice as high, and the falling purchasing power of the Turkish lira, which has lost a lot of value compared to the euro, are making the situation of travelers even more difficult.

Yiğit Girgin also criticizes the opaque discount policy in the industry, which sometimes leads to early bookers paying more than last-minute travelers. This creates confusion and dissatisfaction among guests. In Bodrum, prices for beach clubs are rising alarmingly quickly - in some cases by up to 300 percent. Girgin is therefore calling for a change towards personalized service and a balanced price-performance ratio.

Growth despite adversity

However, Turkey remains a popular travel destination, especially for Germans, who continue to be one of the main source countries for tourists. According to data from laenderdaten.info, cities like Istanbul and Antalya remain the most popular destinations for international travelers. Istanbul currently ranks 19th among the world's most popular cities, while Antalya ranks 63rd.

Tourism has a significant impact on Turkey's entire economy, with this sector contributing up to 13 percent of economic output. Various sectors, from gastronomy to transport, benefit from the flow of tourists and are reflected in the sales figures. Despite the current difficulties, the industry and experts are keeping an eye on the target of 65 million tourists and a turnover of 65 billion dollars for 2025.

Finally, the situation remains uncertain. Political uncertainties in the Middle East and the direct connection to the Turkish economy could continue to impact tourism. While some hotels have already been closed by the ministry, Girgin hopes that targeted measures and a stabilization of the economic situation can regain the trust of guests.