German Tourists See the Biggest Price Hike in Turkey
While the average price of overseas holiday packages in Germany increased by 5.2% in the first half of the year, the highest increase was recorded at 7.6% for Turkey packages. Turkish tourism professionals emphasize that Turkey’s leading position is due to inflation and the uneven rise in foreign exchange rates.
According to a statement by Germany’s Federal Statistical Office, prices for overseas holiday packages increased by an average of 5.2% in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.
The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced that the highest annual price increases compared to the same period last year were recorded at 7.6% for Turkey, 6.7% for the Canary Islands, and 6.3% for the Balearic Islands. In neighboring Greece, the price increase was 4.5%, while trips to Egypt became cheaper.
“Currency Increase Does Not Match Inflation”
Özgen Uysal, Chairman of TÜRSAB Western Mediterranean BTK, noted that costs and inflation are constantly rising in Turkey, but the foreign exchange rate has remained stable for a long time. He stated that costs are not matching their Euro equivalent, which can lead to higher price increases in Turkey compared to its competitors.
Rıza Perçin, Chairman of TÜRSAB Antalya BTK, mentioned that one of the main reasons Turkey is perceived as excessively expensive is that the rise in foreign exchange rates does not match the rise in inflation. He said, “Inflation in Turkey is between 60-70%, but the increase in our earnings in Euros is only 25%. There is a significant discrepancy between inflation rates and the rise in foreign exchange rates. This gap is causing issues. The whole world is affected by high prices. In Germany, Turkish döner, which used to sell for 3-4 Euros, now costs 9 Euros.”
Perçin pointed out that Turkey’s prices were actually cheaper than they should have been in previous years, and now they are reaching their true value. He added, “The price for such quality service was already cheap. In competing countries, you might find five types of breakfast items, while in Antalya, even in four-star hotels, you can find dozens of breakfast options. Germans are going head-to-head with Russians in Antalya. Currently, the tourist season is busy for visitors from abroad. According to airport data, Antalya has reached the 7 million mark.”
Emphasizing that there would be no issues during the high season, Perçin stated, “The important thing is not to lose the winter season. There will be a balancing in the Euro towards winter.”
Package Tour Prices Set a Year in Advance
Burhan Sili, Chairman of the Alanya Touristic Operators Association (ALTID), commented on the price increases in Germany: “We don’t know how these figures were determined because we had already set prices for package tours last year. There can’t be a last-minute increase now. Maybe there is such a situation for individual online bookings. But we have already sold our package tours to tour operators at a certain price. Maybe the tour operators are increasing their prices. Costs and prices are rising all over the world. For hotels in Turkey, costs are increasing more than for our competitors.
For example, the purchase price of beer and meat for hotels is higher in Turkey than in competing countries.”
