After the slump in bookings due to the earthquake in Turkiye in the first few weeks of February, the market is now recovering.
“Türkiye, as one of the most favorite destinations for German holidaymakers, is very much in demand. And the turnover is increasing week by week,” said Norbert Fiebig, the head of the German Travel Association (DRV) said.
He said German travel agencies have reported a huge increase in early bookings in recent months, showing that the tourism sector continues to recover at a strong pace after the coronavirus pandemic.
“In December, January, and February, we had strong booking months. And the good thing for our Turkish partners and friends is that Türkiye is on the very top, it’s gaining a lot and it is a very strong season,” Fiebig said.
Travel agencies expect a record number of German tourists to visit Türkiye this year, exceeding last year’s figure of 5.7 million travelers.
Bentour Reisen announced that reservations stabilized last week, despite the reservations of Turkey experts after the fall caused by the earthquake in February. Compared to 2019, it has reported a good double-digit increase in sales so far.
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Bentour Reisen CEO Deniz Uğur said, “We are pleased with the current development. Our customers are interested in Turkey and are already securing the most popular hotels at the best travel times.”
At the end of last year, Bentour Reisen greatly expanded its flight network for Turkey and almost 40% more flight seats are planned for 23 summers. The current development justifies Bentour Reisen.
Uğur continues: “Earthquakes only had a short-term impact on demand. The Syrian border is 650 km away from the touristic areas, so they are not affected by earthquakes and with our flexible schedule, booking is completely risk-free. Also, every reservation helps the locals, as many tourism professionals are originally from the affected areas.
TUI Group CEO Stefan Baumert announced at the ITB Berlin Fair that he expects a good summer season in 2023 and that there is high demand for Antalya.
Baumert added, “The demand for Antalya is also very high. Antalya is going head-to-head with Majorca in reservations. Also, we have already sold 50 percent of our Greek capacity.”
Ralph Schiller, CEO of the FTI Group said that the Turkish Aegean and Riviera were among the top favorites of holidaymakers until the earthquake.
“After the earthquake, demand has been somewhat more subdued, but based on our experience we assume that this is temporary,” added Schiller.
Source: AA
