Summer 2025 will be a nightmare for Turkish tourism — this is the diagnosis of the situation that Mehmet Isler, President of the Aegean Tourism and Hotel Association (ETIK), has given to the Turkish media. Among the main reasons, he named high inflation, rising input costs, suppression of foreign exchange, and the loss of tourists. “If the appropriate loans are not provided, 2025 will be a nightmare for the tourism sector and 60 sub-sectors,” the Turkish expert assured. In the meantime, silent panic is starting in Turkish hotels.
“This year, the tourism sector is in a tough situation because the foreign exchange rate has not increased due to increased costs, inflation is very high, and profitability remains very low. At the same time, the loss of tourists exceeds expectations,” said Mr. Isler. At the same time, he is sure that tourism has no chance of recovering — he sees salvation only in opening up sources of credit with affordable interest rates for tourism professionals.
“Only in this way will tourism professionals be able to cover their deficits to some extent and see 2025 safe and sound. Otherwise, 2025 will be a nightmare year for Turkish tourism. And not only for the tourism business: the crisis will be a nightmare for 60 sub-sectors that tourism feeds,” he said.
He also emphasized that although hotels and tourism enterprises supply the state with currency, they do not receive the corresponding bonuses. And they are necessary. “The tourism sector, which has been a lifeline for the country in many ways, from the receipt of foreign currency to the creation of jobs and the closing of the current account deficit, now needs a lifeline for itself. This lifeline is the right loan to renew and develop its facilities so that it can compete and outperform its competitors who are waiting to strangle it in the global tourism industry,” Mr. Ishler said.