Russian tourists are reluctant to tip, and they are also unkempt — “they scatter what they drink and eat in the room and bring sand from the beach.” Turkish hotels complained about this, according to Mehmet Celikten, president of the Side Apart Hotels Platform Association. According to him, they called the Germans the best tourists, but the number of ethnic Germans among tourists from Germany who came to Turkey is small.
In general, according to Mr. Chelikten, there is a decline in almost all markets. The decrease of Russian tourists in Antalya is 87%, Ukrainian – and 99%. There was also a 65% drop in domestic tourists, for whom vacations are too expensive due to inflation.
However, as hoteliers complain, all tourists – both Russian and local – are exceptionally thrifty, “it is not easy to tip the bus driver, who is the first to deal with a tourist in the tourism sector, the bellboys who meet the tourist at the entrance to the hotel and accommodate him in his room, an administrator, a maid, a waiter, a cook, and an assistant cook, a lifeguard at the pool and the beach, and beach service personnel.” This is the first reason why, according to Mr. Chelikten’s statement, “hotel staff do not like local tourists, as well as Russian and Arab tourists.” In second place was the notorious sloppiness.
“The nation most liked by hotel employees on vacation is German tourists. German tourists use very clean rooms. Also, they only take as much food as they eat at the buffet dinner. Ethnic Germans often advise their children so that they get used to tipping from an early age,” Turkish hotel employees say. It is also important that they receive tips from the Germans in euros, since “the Turkish lira is worthless even against the background of African or Afghan money” (quote).
The second problem is that hotel employees complain that there are few “ethnic” Europeans left among European tourists. Up to 80% of German, Belgian, Dutch, British and French tourists arriving in Turkey from Europe are Turkish expatriates, as well as “Arabs, Iranians, Afghans, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis”, with all the above-mentioned disadvantages, which, according to the hotel worker, distinguish them from “real Europeans”.