Turkey has begun changing the main rules for beach vacations, which has attracted millions of tourists for years. The all-inclusive system, associated with lavish buffets and unlimited alcohol, will no longer be the same. The country has started introducing a new format called AI-Light (All Inclusive Light). The difference from the traditional “all-inclusive” is simple but significant — alcohol is excluded from the package.
It’s worth noting that Turkish tourism is once again seeking a balance between quality and price for the popular “all-inclusive” system. This time, experts suggest not abolishing all-inclusive, but radically changing it.
According to the Turkish newspaper Turizm Gazetesi, one of Germany’s largest tour operators, Schauinsland Reisen, was the first to implement this model. In several Turkish hotels, guests are offered the usual meal plan — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — plus non-alcoholic drinks, while alcoholic beverages are available only for an additional fee. The new format is already being applied at three hotels: Diamond Hill Resort, Club Aqua Plaza, and Citrus Plaza. If the experiment shows good results, AI-Light could be extended to other hotels as well.
According to representatives of the travel company, more and more tourists are willing to give up alcohol to save money. Thanks to this “light” package, travelers can save about 50 euros per person per week. Observations show that already every second tourist is choosing this option. Tour operators explain this by noting that a significant number of guests do not actually use the included alcohol options, yet still pay for them as part of the overall price.
For Ukrainian tourists, this news may come as a surprise. After all, the “all-inclusive” with alcoholic beverages remains one of the main reasons for choosing Turkey for vacations. Thus, the removal of alcohol could change the familiar vacation format for many Ukrainians.
However, we reassure our travelers ahead of the peak beach season: for now, AI-Light is being implemented only for the German market. Nevertheless, if the idea proves successful, this approach may eventually be offered to Ukrainian tourists as well, especially amid rising prices and hotels’ efforts to optimize their costs.