Tourist market experts informed tourists about the problematic situation with hotels in Turkey and, in particular, that hotels are beginning to demand money from tourists. We are talking about the new accommodation tax introduced on January 1, 2023, and previously paid orders. The problem is that, officially, the tax must be paid by the hotel, which will certainly include these costs in the cost of accommodation. Moreover, according to the law, this tax is collected from hotels, and not at all from tourists, tour operators, or travel agents. However, previously made reservations did not take this price change into account, and as a result, information is emerging that hotels are already ready to directly charge tourists additional amounts to compensate for paying the tax, and it is primarily about expensive hotels, such as Rixos.
Experts remind us that only hoteliers pay the tax on accommodation in Turkey in the amount of 2%, introduced from January 1. That is, the object of taxation is not tourists, but the hotels themselves. The problem is that the question has not been officially answered – how should the new tax be applied to early bookings that have already taken place? The price of such a tour does not include the new tax. As a result, hoteliers solve this problem at their discretion – including, possibly, a solution at the expense of the tourist.”
According to representatives of Turkish DMC operators, hoteliers have three possible options in case of early booking. To collect a 2% tax from tourists upon check-in, to demand an additional payment for the tour in the amount of the tax through a tour operator or travel agent, or to “forgive” the guest this 2% and not to collect the tax from them in principle,” the experts explained. Most likely, each hotel chain will conduct its policy – and evaluate the reactions of tourists and partners. “Perhaps, later there will be some general recommendations on how to deal with tax in case of early booking. There is a bit of chaos at the moment, but after the first week of January, we hope there will be clarity,” the sources added.
Information that hotels plan to persuade tourists to pay extra was confirmed by tour operators. “It is assumed that a 2% tax will be included in the tour price, so tourists should not have any difficulties. However, for example, the hotels of the Rixos Hotels chain reserve the right to demand the payment of accommodation tax from tourists during check-in,” the experts clarified. At the same time, representatives of the travel market emphasize: for bookings made in mid-December, the 2% tax is already taken into account in arrivals for 2023. That is, if a tourist bought a tour to Turkey for the New Year or summer of 2023 in the second half of December 2022, then the tax is already included in its price, although market participants do not have comprehensive information.