AKTOB President Kaan Kavaloğlu made statements regarding current topics in tourism. Kavaloğlu said, "Prices indexed to the Euro exchange rate do not cover our costs. The price increases we've implemented are seen as excessive by consumers.
Kaan Kavaloğlu, speaking at the July dinner meeting of the Antalya Touristic Hoteliers and Operators Association (AKTOB) held at Rixos Sungate in the tourist district of Kemer, addressed issues related to FTI's bankruptcy and rising hotel costs.
Particularly focusing on filling the significant gap left by FTI, which plays a crucial role during winter operations, Kavaloğlu mentioned they are in talks with new tour operators and airlines that can support new operations. He stated:
"Seasonality will be a serious problem in the upcoming seasons. If we desire to maintain employment levels and quality in our hotels, we need to overcome seasonality. Only 10% of hotels in Antalya remain open during winter. Many of our hotels cannot stay open in winter due to structural and marketing deficiencies, leading to reduced employment and financial opportunities. This creates significant problems regarding employment. Hotels should not close in winter; tourist flow must continue. Therefore, flights and increased seating capacity during the winter season are crucial. Let's acknowledge the concentration of Thomas Cook towards us and be aware of FTI's concentration towards us. As tourism professionals, let's base our efforts on this. Our work with operators and airlines focused entirely on us, Antalya, and Turkey is progressing in coordination with the ministry during this process."
Kavaloğlu also emphasized the impact of the Euro exchange rate on the tourism industry, stating, "This situation deeply affects us. Another issue that will challenge us in the winter season. We were reaching these tourist numbers due to our price advantage. However, at this point, prices indexed to the Euro exchange rate do not cover our costs. The price increases we've implemented are seen as excessive by consumers."