“They are stealing tourists from us,” – such an indignant statement was presented on the pages of the Turkish publication Turizm Gazetesi by representatives of the Turkish tourism business. Their anger fell on foreigners who buy houses in the resorts and then rent them to their compatriots. First of all, hoteliers accuse the Russians and Germans of this practice.
“Foreigners compete with us without paying any taxes, operating “in the dark”. Russians, Germans, and Englishmen buy houses in Alanya and rent them daily and weekly at a high price. At the same time, they do not pay a single penny of taxes to Turkey but earn a lot of money. Stealing tax-paying hotel customers is a shameful crime,” said Mehmet Dahaoglu, vice president of the Alanya Tourism Promotion Fund (ALTAV) and Alanya Tour Operators Association (ALTID). He called for the introduction of restrictions on the online real estate rental site and, in general, for the fight against “customer theft.”
He was supported by Ali Orkan, the president of Konakli Tourist Operators Association (KONTİD), who also demanded to prevent unregistered rentals. “The number of foreigners has increased rapidly in recent years, illegally renting out the houses they buy to third parties is causing great inconvenience to the entire tourism market, this informal economy is harming the accommodation sector,” he said.
Hoteliers are also indignant – the owner of the Delphin Hotel, Tolga Chomertoglu, assures that the tourism sector has suffered from such entrepreneurs. According to him, the legitimate small tourism business, which requires a license and payment of taxes, is particularly affected by this business.
“Foreigners are obliged to pay taxes on any income they earn in our country. Without a business license or proof of income, real estate should never be rented out for a short period,” the Turks add.