Ski season at risk in Uludağ as 16 hotels lose licenses
BURSA
Sixteen of the 20 hotels in Bursa’s Uludağ, one of the country’s most popular ski resorts known as the “white paradise,” have had their operating licenses revoked, with sector representatives warning that the ski resort may not be able to open for the upcoming winter season.
The move follows two deadly fires that raised alarm across Türkiye’s ski tourism industry.
On Jan. 21, a fire at a hotel in the northwestern province of Bolu’s Kartalkaya ski resort killed 78 people, including 36 children. In March, another fire at an Uludağ hotel claimed the lives of three people.
These incidents triggered a wave of inspections at ski hotels and resorts across the country.
In Uludağ, the inspections uncovered serious deficiencies in fire safety and disaster preparedness at several facilities. Hotel operators were formally notified and given a deadline to address the issues.
However, 16 hotels failed to meet the requirements within the specified timeframe, prompting the local and national authorities to revoke their licenses.
Hotel operators have filed legal appeals in hopes of halting the implementation of the decision.
The Southern Marmara touristic hotel owners association (GÜMTOB), warned that resolving all the deficiencies before the start of the next ski season may not be possible, raising concerns that most hotels in the area will be unable to accommodate guests in the upcoming winter.
The organization noted that many buildings in Uludağ are aging structures and that meeting modern safety standards effectively requires full-scale renovations.
