The tourism industry is, more so now than ever, hugely affected by economic changes, both in terms of currency fluctuations and the economy’s impact on individual holidaymakers.
This has been most evident in the last few years, as Turkey’s status as a value-for-money destination – thanks to its location outside of the Eurozone and a favourable exchange rate – have made it increasingly popular among British holidaymakers, with Dalaman overtaking Majorca as the number one summer 2010 destination so far.
However, recent reports suggest that there has been a rise of more than 40 per cent in the cost of holiday basics – restaurants, bars and coffee shops for example – as business owners seek to capitalise on the influx of tourists.
This is a very dangerous policy, particularly when the same report states that the cost of holiday basics is down by 30 per cent in Spain, 15 per cent in Portugal and 10 per cent in Greece.
The Turkish Tourist Authorities should take heed of a number of similar situations from the past decade. Take Cyprus, which, on more than one occasion, has seen strong occupancy deflated in the following season because prices were raised disproportionately. The country then saw bookings fall dramatically
So right now we would caution against dramatic price increases and ask businesses in Turkey to be sensible about pricing for the coming season.
We have written to the Turkish Culture & Tourism Office, asking them to implore hoteliers and restaurant owners not to increase prices dramatically and to implement sensible pricing policies.
We would like to see Turkey’s popularity continue for many years to come, and pricing holidaymakers out of visiting can only have disastrous consequences.