Bodrum hotels hit 85 percent occupancy in late summer

MUĞLA

(İHA Photo)

Hotel occupancy rates reach 85 percent in the Mediterranean town of Bodrum as the late summer season draws foreign tourists seeking warm weather and affordable holiday packages.

The town welcomed 780,000 foreign tourists via air and sea in the first eight months of the year. The “yellow summer” period from Sept. 15 to Oct. 31 offers uncrowded holidays with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius, Bodrum Hoteliers Association head Ömer Faruk Dengiz said.

Flights continue, hotels remain open and markets see heavy foot traffic, Dengiz said, adding the season could extend until Nov. 5 or Nov. 10.

Milas-Bodrum Airport received over 687,000 international passengers between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, a 1.9 percent drop from the 701,000 arrivals recorded last year. Cruise arrivals hit 93,000 passengers. Officials expect a 10 percent overall increase combining figures from three local ports.

European retirees increasingly prefer the autumn months, Association of Turkish Travel Agencies Bodrum regional head Enver Kantarmış said. Extra flights from Lithuania and Latvia began Sept. 1 to meet demand, he said. Economy yachts currently face heavy bookings with limited availability.

The United Kingdom, Poland, Russia and Germany remain the top source markets, Bodrum Hoteliers Association deputy head Alişir Şahin said. Nightly bed and breakfast rates for two people start at 4,000 Turkish liras ($82) in local pensions, he said. Packages in four-star and five-star hotels range between 10,000 and 12,000 liras ($205 and $246).

Bodrum serves as a major engine for Türkiye’s tourism sector, typically seeing peak visitor traffic in July and August before shifting to a budget-friendly autumn schedule.