It’s lucky that Turkey is a tough old bird. It has taken a few blows this summer, with the failure of Eastern Med specialist Goldtrail following hard of the heels of the collapse of seat-only operator Kiss Flights.
Turkey is the second most-popular holiday destination for Brits, and arrivals from the UK were up 15.5% year on year by the end of July – though this was before the failures, which are sure to have taken a healthy bite out of that figure.
Though no one seems keen to plunge feet first into the capacity breach, many operators are pledging smaller increases. Holidays 4U will carry 30,000 more holidaymakers in 2011 than in 2010. Sales and marketing manager Joe Lavers says: “We were planning to put some capacity in anyway, but after the Kiss and Goldtrail collapses we’re putting more in than we planned.
“It nowhere near plugs the gap left by the failures, but it’s a sensible amount – we didn’t want to end up having to discount.”
Agents are cautiously optimistic. Dawson and Sanderson general manager Sally Queen feels the situation was particularly bad this summer, and that flight capacity would be healthier next year.
She feels that the very low prices the market saw in 2010 will not repeat themselves. “Those ridiculous prices are not sustainable – although it depends on whether or not the tour operators can hold their nerves.”
So, while clients may not be able to find the bargain basement prices they saw this year, there are plenty of options to choose from. For inspiration for a good value summer beach break to sell to clients next year, read our round-up.
The big two
Tui Travel is adding two routes for summer 2011, flying from Exeter to Antalya and from Birmingham to Izmir. The operator will fly 45 routes over the summer, from 16 UK airports into four Turkish gateways: Antalya, Bodrum, Izmir and Dalaman, with flights going into the latter every day.
Flights into Dalaman will start in time for the Easter holidays on April 7 from nine UK airports, and year-round flying to Antalya from Gatwick and Manchester will be available from November 2 this year. Additional 2011 April routes into Antalya from Bristol and Glasgow will start on April 5.
The all-inclusive Eftalia Aqua Resort near Konakli is opening in May, and will be a First Choice Splash hotel. There will be two new First Choice Kids’ Academies, at Eftalia Village in Konakli and Ephesia Holiday Beach Club in Kusadasi.
The Thomson Couples programme will feature two new hotels, the Hotel Virgin Bodrum in Gumbet, and the Club Magic Life Marmaris Imperial in Marmaris. There are also two new Thomson Family Resorts: the Club Magic Life Bodrum Imperial in Bodrum, and the Pegasos Royal in Incekum. The Hotel Tropical in Sarigerme is new for Thomson’s Kids’ Club.
Thomas Cook Airlines has also introduced new routes for 2011, flying from Bournemouth to Antalya and Dalaman, Doncaster to Antalya and Bristol to Izmir. The operator now flies from 19 UK airports into four Turkish gateways.
Next year’s brochure for value brand Sunset will feature ‘Star Buy’ hotels that offer the best value when compared like-for-like on a board basis, so it’s easy to show clients how to save money.
The brochure also highlights properties in lively locations, with good family facilities, good choices for adults and relaxing properties. There are free child places available at many properties, plus kids meal deals, pre-school savings and single parent savers.
Thomas Cook’s new Family World resorts aim to offer the ultimate family holiday experience, with age-specific kids clubs ranging from crèches to teenagers, and activities that include football and swimming as well as fun for the whole family. There is one such resort in Turkey, the Marti Myra near Kemer.
The children’s club, Kids World, will be offered in two new Turkish properties: the Asena Village near Dalaman, and the Yelken Spa near Turgutreis – the latter is exclusive to Thomas Cook in the UK.
There’s a new Aquamania property – the Rixos Sungate, Antalya – and two hotels now exclusive to Thomas Cook in the UK. These are The Pine Bay in Kusadasi and The Royal Wings in Lara Beach.
Airtours will introduce a dedicated family brochure for 2011, featuring Sunsplash resorts, which are properties with great water-based facilities – the equivalent of the Aquamania range.
There are four Sunsplash resorts in Turkey: Green Nature Resort and Spa in Marmaris, Wow Kremlin Palace in Lara Beach, Kervansaray Kundu in Lara Beach and Club Ali Bey in Belek.
Independent operators
Flight-only Avro nearly doubled capacity across all Turkish gateways for the summer of 2010, introducing flights from Luton, Birmingham, East Midlands, Newcastle and Glasgow.
It is looking at the 2011 programme, but has no firm commitments to expand. Managing director Michael Vinales says: “We will be considering expanding more into regional flying, which might include departures from Bristol, East Midlands and even Belfast.”
Cosmos is entering new resorts such as Akyarlar and Kusadasi in the Bodrum region, and increasing product in Altinkum and Bodrum itself. A wider range of hotels will also be featured in Dalaman and Antalya. The Manchester-Antalya route is now operated by Monarch scheduled flights only, flying on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Jet2.com has increased capacity for summer 2011 by 60%, introducing Bodrum as a new destination from Manchester twice a week, and once a week from Leeds and East Midlands.
From its new Glasgow base Jet2.com will fly twice a week to Dalaman. The 757 fleet serving Turkey in summer next year will have refurbished seats and cabin interiors, and the 737s will have 36 extra legroom seats at the front of the cabin.
Operating arm Jet2holidays.com aims to more than double its sales to Turkey for Summer 2011.
Olympic Holidays expanded its Turkish programme by 35% this year, adding the Antalya region. It plans further growth for 2011, with a wider range of three-star hotels in Oludeniz, Fethiye, Bodrum and Kemer. Olympic features Turkey in its Summer Sun Collection, its budget Smart Choice programme and also in its upmarket Gold and Platinum collection.
Specialist operators
Independent Turkey specialist Holidays 4U will carry 100,000 holidaymakers this year, and plans to increase the number to 130,000 next year, flying from 16 UK airports.
Most of the extra capacity will come from newly featured airports and running flights throughout the season instead of just at the height of season. Holidays 4U will now fly from Cardiff, and will run extra flights from Belfast and Leeds Bradford.
Wings Abroad, the all-inclusive Turkey specialist, will increase capacity from 14,000 in 2010 to 18,000 in 2011, flying from Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, East Midlands, Newcastle, and new for next year, Birmingham and Stansted.
It offers 13% commission and is now featuring early booking benefits such as free child accommodation and meals, and a £200 discount for bookings made before Christmas.
Other benefits include free resort transfers, no ticket-on-departure charges, no admin or amendment fees and no seat selection charges. Brochures will reach agents in the first week of November.
Sample product
Sunset Holidays offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at the three-star Blue Bay Apartments in Marmaris from £329 twin-share, departing Gatwick on April 1, 2011. thomascookworld.com, 0871 230 2403
First Choice offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at the four-star Eftalia Aqua Splash Resort, Konakli, from £475. firstchoice.co.uk, 0871 200 4455
Olympic Holidays offers seven nights’ all-inclusive at the three-star Club Acacia Bodrum for £449 twin-share. The price is for departures in June 2011 and includes return flights from Gatwick and transfers. olympicholidays.com, 0844 499 4449
Holidays 4U offers seven nights’ self-catering at the Villa Turk Apartments in Ovacik with a free child place and a second child discount from £785 for a family of four departing in May. hotels4u.co.uk, 0844 415 2444
