Hoteliers expect influx of holidaymakers during Eid holiday
ISTANBUL
The four-day Eid al-Adha holiday will mark the beginning of the summer season, with travelers making plans and booking reservations, particularly at resorts on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. But international destinations are also in high demand.
The Eid holiday will start on June 6.
There is high demand for tours in Antalya's districts, the Black Sea region and Cappadocia, while Dubai and Egypt stand out as popular destinations abroad, representatives of the tourism industry said.
Additionally, due to the strong demand from domestic holidaymakers in the Balkan countries, new tours have been planned departing not only from Istanbul but also from Izmir and Ankara, they noted.
In the resort towns of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, accommodation costs per night start from 2,250 Turkish Liras per person, going up to 17,500 liras.
The hottest destination for this season appears to be Cyprus while In Europe, Italy leads in reservations for visa-required travel, while in visa-free destinations, demand for Egypt and Dubai is noticeably increasing, according to people from the travel industry.
“European routes, such as the Mediterranean and Benelux countries are attracting interest, along with visa-on-arrival options in the Greek Islands and visa-free destinations like Egypt and the Balkans,” said Ömer Özkan Şakar from Setur.
Long-haul destinations such as Thailand, Bali and Dubai are also in demand, he added.
Tatilsepeti Chairman Kaan Karayal stated that the highest domestic demand is for all-inclusive hotels, while cultural tours have also seen remarkable growth this year.
"We are experiencing the highest sales in recent times, with a 40 percent increase this year. Although cultural tours are typically last-minute purchases, currently 70 percent of all tours are fully booked,” Karayal said.
Traveling abroad is gaining popularity each year, and this year is no exception, according to Mustafa Kemal Çubuk from Tatilbudur.
Destinations with warm climates and shopping opportunities—such as Dubai and Egypt—are seeing especially high demand, Çubuk said.
The ease of visa-free travel has led to strong interest in Balkan countries, he said, adding that, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are luring Turkish tourists with their affordable prices.
Tourism expenditure of Turks visiting abroad increased by 37.6 percent annually in the first quarter of 2025 to $2.45 billion. Their average expenditure in January-March was $943 up from $727 from a year ago.
