Tents and motorhomes, not hotels – this is the real choice of vacationers in Turkey in the SUMMER 2023 season, as the prices for vacations in Turkish hotels hit the pockets of tourists, forcing them to look for alternative accommodation options. This was reported by the Turkish publication Turizm Guncel.
Resting in Turkish hotels has become expensive even for the former middle class. The increase in the cost of hotel accommodation is caused by the increase in costs, the increase in foreign currency prices, and inflation, which forced many not to deny themselves the pleasure of resting, but to review the item of expenses – the rental of hotel rooms. The economic imbalance made rest in hotels unaffordable for a large part of tourists. This year, hotel prices have reached a critical level. In addition, the decline in purchasing power significantly reduced the number of potential hotel customers.
Camping and your equipment for outdoor recreation instead of a hotel
Tent camps and RVs, which used to be mostly in demand among students, have turned out to be very popular among the middle class this season. According to Ali Jan Polat, the statistics eloquently convey the situation today: the occupancy of tent camps has exceeded 80%, while the occupancy of hotels does not exceed 50%.
Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy emphasized that foreign tourists, who previously could easily spend $10,000-30,000 for a week’s vacation for two in hotels, now prefer to use this money to buy the necessary equipment, including mobile homes, rather than accommodation in hotels. This created additional problems for hoteliers, as the cost of such a vacation became unaffordable for many tourists. The problem is the same for everyone – the decrease in purchasing power has forced them to look for more economical ways to spend their vacations.
Official representatives of Turkish campsites emphasized the growing interest in alternative forms of accommodation during vacations. Organizers notice more and more “white-collar workers” among new clients. Some tented camps do not have spaces until October. For example, this is the case with campsites on the Aegean coast.
The format of food has also changed. Vacationers are now forced to cook their meals to save on costs. At the same time, camping sites are still really considered a budget alternative to resort hotels. However, the organizers of such vacation spots sound the alarm: due to the increase in the cost of fuel and taxes, they will also have to raise the price of accommodation. “Tent prices ranged from $15 to $300. Compared to previous years, our products for cooking in nature began to be actively sold. Given the prices of food and drink, especially outdoors in resort areas, people are camping and cooking for themselves. However, when we raised the prices of the goods, the interest started to decrease,” said Mustafa Ekinci, manager of the Perkamp camping goods store.
Vacation in motorhomes to buy real estate
The Camping and Caravanning Association of Turkey reported that interest in motorhomes is growing due to their economic efficiency. Vice President Oguz Tokalak emphasized that trailers have become an alternative to traditional hotels. He also noted the growing demand for motorhomes in resort areas, where tourists leave their motorhomes right on the side of the road.
In addition, the former middle class of carefree vacations in ready-made hotels began to save and invest this money in the purchase of real estate. A new trend is buying motorhomes instead of renting traditional rooms and bungalows. Oguz Tokalak, vice president of the Camping and Motorhome Association of Turkey, emphasized that economic considerations have become the main driving force behind this trend. The drive to save on accommodation and enable a more flexible and independent lifestyle has led to an increase in demand for car trailers. It also caused a lack of campsites, necessitating the implementation of plans to create additional places for vacationers in resort areas.