Turkey, once an accessible holiday destination to which many Romanians were heading, begins to lose tourists because of the increases, which make it less attractive to its rivals, Greece and Spain.
Holidays in Turkey, more and more expensive. Photo: Archive
Turkey, considered a long time one of the most popular holiday destinations for European tourists, including numerous Romanians, is now facing a decrease in the number of visitors, against the background of accelerated prices in the tourist sector. A recent report indicates that the degree of hotels in Turkey is decreasing, tourists choosing other destinations with more advantageous prices.
Although Antalya, Bodrum, Istanbul or Ankara were frequently chosen for holidays traditionally by British, Romanian, German and Russian tourists, due to sunny beaches, various entertainment options and the good quality-price ratio, the situation has changed significantly in recent months, notes Express.co.
Almost double prices
Thus, according to the Tourism Review, the constant increases in the prices for accommodation and tourist services make Turkey now as an expensive destination in relation to other competing European states such as Greece or Spain.
The increase in holiday packages is fed by increasing production costs and higher taxes applied to food, energy and basic products, which directly affects tourism companies.
In some resorts such as Antalya and Bodrum, family holidays can now exceed 150,000 Turkish pounds, ie about 3,194 euros, while tourists can find more advantageous options in Greece, where a similar holiday costs between 1,695 and 2,125 euros.
According to official data, the number of visitors decreased by 0.15% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, the highest decrease being registered among tourists from Russia and Germany, but also from the United Kingdom and Bulgaria.
“Turkey has lost the advantage of the price, and tourists are looking for destinations where they get more for the same amount of money”, said Kıvanç Meriç, president of the Association of Travel Agencies in Turkey – Izmir, stressing that immediate measures are needed to recover the sector.
In 2024, Turkey exceeded Italy as a number of tourists, with over 56.7 million foreign visitors, but if the current trend continues, the competitive advantage of this destination could be seriously affected in the following seasons.
