The disorganization and total mess faced by Turkish hotels in dealing with the refugee crisis due to the earthquake could jeopardize the opening of the 2023 tourist season. the “indebted” tourism industry. Hoteliers complain that they were “extreme” in this serious problem and the state seems to be trying to shift the solution to the “tourism industry, which is drowning in debt”.
We will remind you that at the moment approximately 100,000 refugees from the earthquake zone are accommodated in hotels and, first of all, in the main resorts of Turkey. Some of them have already been offered eviction by hotels, and mass evictions will begin on March 15, as hoteliers need to prepare for the summer season.
Hotels say that the maximum period for which they are ready to leave refugees is until April 1. “We are in complete uncertainty about the upcoming season and are waiting for a decision from the state so that the victims of the earthquake do not become homeless victims,” the hotels say. They explain that until now all victims of the earthquake were accommodated on a full board, and all the costs of accommodation and food were borne by the hotels.
“The government does not provide any support to the industry. No one knows what will happen next. Mess and disorganization everywhere,” hoteliers complain. They add that out of desperation, hoteliers are already ready to somehow solve this issue themselves – there are proposals for hotels to “rent vacant houses at their own expense and accommodate refugees there” or to resettle refugees in hotels in regions “with a low level of tourism.” That is, government officials seem to have decided to make charity a duty.
“We talked with the government about state hostels and guest houses. And they explained that we are in a hopeless situation. The tourist season is about to start, and tourists from Iran will go to Navruz. We will have to evict everyone from the hotels before the start of the season,” Burhan Chili, the president of the Association of Tourist Operators of Alanya, complained to the Turkish media.
“The government should intervene before an open conflict starts between the hotel owners and the victims of the earthquakes. We opened our doors, we are ready to support the victims with part of our capabilities. But the state must also bear the costs — at least for the next year until people get new housing,” Serdar Kardzhilioglu told the Association of Professional Hotel Managers of Bodrum. He noted that more than 65 hotels in Bodrum have opened their doors to earthquake victims, but they are not ready to provide hospitality indefinitely. “Don’t blame the hoteliers. Our industry is mired in debt and only has the summer season to make money,” he added.