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Global warming is extending the tourism season

Global Warming is Extending the Tourism Season Due to climate change and global warming, this summer saw temperatures above the seasonal norms. While this affects nature and daily life in many ways, it has also impacted the tourism sector. Prof. Dr. Orhan İçöz, Vice Chair of the Department of Tourism Guidance at Yaşar University, stated that while warmer temperatures might extend the tourism season, they are more likely to shorten the winter season and lead to excessive resource consumption, causing negative effects. According to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology (MGM), July 2024 was recorded as the hottest July in the last 53 years in Turkey. Experts are focusing on seasonal shifts and droughts, and the tourism sector is also affected by these temperature changes. Prof. Dr. İçöz noted that global warming could potentially extend the summer tourism season in Turkey but would also lead to increased resource consumption and negative impacts on winter tourism. A study by the European Union suggests that if global warming continues at this rate, the current tourism situation could change, with cooler regions like Scandinavia becoming more advantageous and attracting tourists seeking cooler weather. Extended Summer Season Affects Winter Tourism Prof. Dr. İçöz discussed the impact of climate change on the tourism sector, explaining that since tourism is closely related to seasonal patterns, it is inevitably affected by temperature changes. Global warming increases the duration and intensity of hot weather, leading to more hot days throughout the year. At the same time, reduced rainfall causes water shortages and negatively impacts winter tourism due to fewer snowy days. Turkey, being in a region with low rainfall, is significantly affected by global warming. Over the past year, the country has experienced one of the driest periods in recent years, resulting in minimal rainfall and making winter tourism destinations reliant on artificial snow. Although there is an optimistic view that longer hot days might extend the tourism season in Turkey, Prof. Dr. İçöz mentioned that this seems unlikely given the current markets and visitor profiles. The summer and beach tourism market mostly consists of younger and middle-aged individuals with work or study commitments, who have limited opportunities to travel outside the June-September period. Therefore, tourists outside the high season are typically older individuals who prefer cultural, health, or walking activities rather than hot weather and beaches. Thus, the country's tourism infrastructure is already suited to accommodate such tourists. The goal of an extended tourism season should be to target cultural tourists and those who can travel year-round rather than just summer tourists. Accommodation Occupancy Rates in Popular Destinations Prof. Dr. İçöz described how the tourism season is quite long in Turkey's western and southern regions. For example, Antalya is open for tourism year-round, while popular destinations like Marmaris have a long season from April to October, and Bodrum from May to October. In these areas, accommodation occupancy rates are about 98% during the peak season and around 70% in other periods. Cooler Regions May Gain Interest Prof. Dr. İçöz suggested that climate change might redirect tourists to cooler regions. The World Tourism Organization and the European Union are addressing climate change and global warming as significant issues. An EU study indicates that if global warming continues at this rate, tourism could shift, with cooler European regions like Scandinavia benefiting from the change and attracting tourists seeking cooler climates. The study also noted that changes in the main holiday season might occur, but these would be gradual, with slow shifts in travel flows and holiday corridors. The phenomenon of overtourism in popular destinations could also contribute to these changes. Focus on Quality Tourism Highlighting the impact of global warming and intense tourist activity on energy consumption, Prof. Dr. İçöz stressed that Turkey faces serious issues with water scarcity and energy loss due to high water usage in tourism areas and continuous cooling systems. In some destinations, the high consumption by tourists is harming the quality of life for local residents, leading to a negative response to tourism. Therefore, rather than aiming for a higher volume of tourists, the focus should shift to elite, sustainable, and eco-tourism. The country's primary goal should be to attract fewer but more quality-oriented tourists.

President Kara met with tourism investors

Manavgat Mayor Dr. Niyazi Nefi Kara met with tourism investors at the Atatürk Cultural Center. The Manavgat Municipality hosted a significant consultation meeting at the Atatürk Cultural Center, aimed at shaping the future of the tourism accommodation sector. The meeting, which was crucial for the region's tourism industry developments and investment opportunities, was attended by Manavgat Mayor Dr. Niyazi Nefi Kara, deputy mayors, tourism investors from Manavgat, and industry professionals. Participants gathered to assess current developments in the tourism sector, future trends, regional issues, and potential solutions. In his opening speech, Mayor Dr. Niyazi Nefi Kara emphasized Manavgat's significant tourism potential on a national level. He noted that Manavgat's natural beauty, historical richness, and cultural heritage provide a substantial advantage in tourism. He stressed the importance of continuous communication and collaboration with stakeholders to sustainably leverage these advantages. The meeting covered topics such as the current state of Manavgat's tourism infrastructure, changes in tourist flows, performance of accommodation facilities, and customer satisfaction. The importance of environmentally friendly and sustainable tourism practices was also highlighted. Industry professionals shared the challenges and issues they faced during the meeting, including rising costs, seasonal fluctuations, and a shortage of skilled labor. Following the meeting, Mayor Kara stated that the feedback received was highly valuable and that cooperation and solidarity are more crucial than ever for building a better future for the tourism sector.

Russians have no enthusiasm for learning Turkish

"Among those with an income of 100,000 rubles or more, English (36%) stands out as the most popular language, while Chinese (20%) ranks second. Spanish received 9%, Arabic 4%, Italian 3%, and both German and French got 1% of the votes. Participants in this income group stated that they do not want to learn a foreign language. Additionally, 5% of the survey respondents said they would like to learn one of the following languages: Korean, Turkish, Portuguese, Czech, Sanskrit, or others. Overall, regardless of income level, English (38%) was the most popular language among all participants, followed by Chinese (second place). German and Japanese shared third place with 5% each. Those interested in learning Italian and French were 4%, while those interested in learning Spanish were 3%, and Arabic 1%. Participants who do not want to learn a foreign language explained that they do not travel abroad. Since the start of the military operation in Ukraine, there has been a significant increase in the demand for language learning. Hebrew saw a 206% increase, Georgian 88%, Serbian 74%, and Chinese 69%. Bulgarian experienced a 70% increase in demand, Turkish 55%, and Armenian 29%. Following Western sanctions, the demand for specialists who know the Chinese language also increased. According to a study by HeadHunter, the demand for specialists with knowledge of the Chinese language rose to one and a half times the pre-pandemic level in 2022, and in the first quarter of 2023, it increased by 40% compared to the same period in the previous year."

The goal of tourism professionals in Bodrum is November

Tourism activity continues in Bodrum, a district of Muğla. In Bodrum, where August has been busier compared to July, hotel occupancy rates have reached 80%. Ömer Faruk Dengiz, President of the Bodrum Hoteliers Association, stated, "There has been an increase in the number of foreign tourists. Cruise tourism is very important for Bodrum. Last year, 83,000 people arrived by cruise ships in the first seven months, while this year, the number reached 93,000 in the same period. In total, 794,000 foreign tourists arrived both by sea and air. Last year, this figure was around 714,000 during the same period. Alişir Şahin, Vice President of the Bodrum Hoteliers Association, noted that the contraction in the domestic market continues, stating, 'There has been an increase in reservations recently. August seems to have better occupancy compared to July. We anticipate that this trend may continue until the schools reopen.'

Turks rank fourth in electronic visas to Russia

China was the country that received the most electronic visas, with 254,200 applications. It was followed by Saudi Arabia with 43,400 applications and Germany with 42,600 applications. Turkey and Estonia also ranked among the top five. The top ten countries in electronic visa applications included India, Latvia, Iran, Kuwait, and Lithuania. According to Artur Muradyan, Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry, most of these visas are obtained for short-term tourist or business trips. Russia began its electronic visa program on August 1, 2023. Citizens of 55 countries can obtain this visa for tourist, business, humanitarian, and visitor purposes, as well as for participating in social, economic, and sports events. The visa is single-entry, valid for 60 days from the date of issuance, and allows a stay in Russia for up to 16 days. The application fee is $52.

The biggest complaint from tourists is delays

Kuk said, "Previously, we used to take tourists to the airport 2 hours in advance. Now we take them 6 hours earlier. This situation causes dissatisfaction." The tourism city of Antalya, which aims to attract 17 million tourists this year, is also negatively affected by delays at airports across Turkey. With planes taking off and landing every 2 minutes, mostly with tourists arriving from abroad, they have to wait long hours both on their way to their hotels and back to their countries. 'Tourists Want to Vacation Until the Last Minute' Hamit Kuk, Advisor to the President of TÜRSAB, said they have received feedback from tourists reaching the level of complaints due to delays. He noted that since the delays began in June, this has been the most common complaint. Kuk stated, "Previously, we used to take tourists to the airport 2 hours in advance. Now we take them 6 hours earlier. This situation causes dissatisfaction among tourists. Tourists want to vacation until the last minute." Kuk also mentioned that city traffic is an issue, saying they have received numerous complaints from tourists regarding this as well.

The tourism sector is concerned about the extension of the Instagram access ban

Mehmet Can Özdemir, stating that Instagram is a vital tool for tourism in advertising, sales, and marketing compared to other media and social media platforms, said, “Currently, we can't figure out how the algorithm works, we can't restrict advertising budgets, and Facebook remains open. We are trying to analyze how the algorithm is affected by Facebook being open. If a business has 50,000 followers on Instagram, it has 25,000 on Facebook. Our customer base is not on Facebook; the younger generation is not there. The advertising cycle hasn't fully settled on other social media tools. Instagram is the social media platform that the tourism sector's customers follow." Özdemir pointed out that a medium-sized travel agency spends approximately 150,000 TL monthly on social media advertising. He noted that they lack the ability to analyze customer data such as age, gender, region, and income with the free data provided by META, which helps in forming advertising and marketing strategies and filtering for new advertisements accordingly. Will the Sector's Loss Be Compensated? Özdemir mentioned that they are waiting for an explanation from META regarding whether the previously paid advertising fees will be refunded during the Instagram outage. He believes that the loss in reservations due to the platform's closure will not be compensated. Özdemir added, "This is the peak period for tourism revenue. We, travel agencies, and cultural tour operators have a fixed capacity. We prepay for every unsold seat on planes, whether they are filled or not. We rely on last-minute sales. Sometimes, we try to sell those two empty seats by increasing the advertising budget three days before the tour starts. The closure of Instagram ties our hands in this regard. In 5-6 days, September and October sales will begin, but we can't take action because we can't run ads. Our ads are live, and we've paid for them, but we don't know what return we are getting. If this continues in September, October, and November, the tourism industry will struggle." “We Are Trying to Fill the Reservation Gap with Old Methods” Özdemir said they are trying to reach their customers through old methods, such as sending short messages to phones and emails, to fill the reservation gap. He mentioned, “I have 1,600 unread text messages on my phone, but we expect customers to read the SMS messages sent to their phones. Since mass WhatsApp messaging is not legal, we cannot use it either.”

Corendon Airlines is among the top 500 companies in Turkey

In the new study prepared based on the year-end 2023 figures of Capital500, 37 sectors were included. Entering the giants' league in 2011 at 431st place, Corendon Airlines ranked 203rd this year. Additionally, according to the study, Corendon Airlines is the 5th best company operating in the transportation sector, which includes air transportation, airports, and ground services companies. 'We transport an average of 6 million passengers per year' Yıldıray Karaer, Chairman of the Board of Corendon Airlines, evaluated the 'Top 500 Private Companies of Turkey' study, defined as the pinnacle of the Turkish business world, and said, 'Operating under the Corendon Tourism group, Corendon Airlines has been growing steadily in terms of fleet and route diversity since its establishment. With our flight network reaching 165 airports in 65 countries, we transport an average of 6 million passengers per year. Those who want to enjoy a vacation both in the summer and winter experience the privilege of flying to the most popular destinations with the advantages offered by Corendon Airlines.' The 3rd airline bringing the most passengers to Antalya Airport Highlighting that Corendon Airlines is also among the prominent brands in the 'Top 1000 Exporters of Turkey' study conducted by the Turkish Exporters Assembly, Karaer continued, 'We have managed to be among the top 10 companies in service exports once again this year. Among 150,000 exporting companies in our country, Corendon Airlines is also the 3rd airline bringing the most passengers to Antalya Airport. Last year, we transported over 4 million passengers with our fleet of 32 aircraft. Through Corendon Travel, we brought over 750,000 tourists to our country from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark with package tours. We contribute to the economy with the employment of 3,700 people. In the new period, we will focus on projects that will develop tourism and provide the best experiences to our guests. As Corendon Airlines, we will continue to stand by our guests, stakeholders, and employees and work for the national economy as a company based in Antalya.'

Let's prepare for new competitors like Egypt and the UAE

Expressing that the successful performance of Turkish tourism in recent times and the six-month tourism data announced by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy reveal the growth trend in the sector, Turkey Tourism Investors Association (TTYD) President Oya Narin highlighted the successful performance of Istanbul and Antalya compared to last year. Narin noted that the occupancy rates in July-August were slightly below expectations, but per capita spending met targets and tourism revenue continued to increase. Speaking on a television program, TTYD President Narin said that comprehensive new planning is needed in the sector until 2030. Emphasizing the importance of increasing Turkey’s competitiveness in the tourism sector, Oya Narin pointed out the need to be prepared for new competitors like Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). TTYD President Narin stated, “About half of our 2 million bed capacity dates back to before 1999. As a sector, to develop our potential, maintain our competitive edge, and create new destinations, it is essential to both transform our existing bed capacity and increase our total bed capacity.” “Trying to balance cost increases” Narin stated that a decrease of around 2.5% was observed in the number of domestic trips in the first quarter, which might have occurred due to economic fluctuations. “Unfortunately, there is a perception in the public that prices have risen significantly, and local tourists cannot afford vacations, which saddens us and affects the tourism industry negatively,” said TTYD President Narin. “Our sector, serving 60 million tourists and generating 60 billion dollars in revenue, is labor-intensive. It will continue to contribute to the current account balance and budget balance in the coming period. We are experiencing cost inflation in the accommodation sector, particularly due to increases in food, beverage, and energy prices. We are trying to create a pricing structure by balancing these cost increases, but it is not fully possible to reflect them,” she said. Noting that profitability in the accommodation sector has decreased, and there is a need for a macrostructural economic program to better control costs, Oya Narin said, “In an environment with suppressed exchange rates and high inflation, we are seeking a solution by balancing costs. In TÜİK’s inflation calculations, restaurants and hotels are published together in the main expenditure group. However, looking at the breakdowns, we see that accommodation service prices increased by 52% and food service prices by 95% compared to the previous year. The coming months, September, October, and November, are critical for the tourism sector. Careful financial management and strategic planning are needed during this period,” she said. “REITs can be used for financing problems” Narin noted that they need to overcome financing problems to make these investments. She continued: “Considering the seasonal nature of the sector, there is also a need for working capital. We have a credit portfolio of 12.7 billion dollars. Our sector constitutes only 2.9% of the total credit distribution. For the sector to invest, it should benefit not only from conventional credit access but also from alternative financing sources. We are conducting comprehensive studies on transforming tourism’s financial management side to benefit from appropriate and advantageous setups in capital markets, supporting asset financing, and developing financing models for new business projects. These studies include making the Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) system more functional and developing financing models for the sector, which is affected by many regulations such as zoning, special tourism protection areas, and coastline boundaries. In line with these studies, we plan to share the results and recommendations we achieve with all relevant institutions and organizations, primarily the Capital Markets Board and Borsa Istanbul. Our goal is to implement the best practices in the sector through these collaborations and offer more attractive opportunities for investors.” TTYD President Oya Narin stated that to achieve these goals, they would hold the 4th Tourism Investment Forum in Istanbul on November 26-27 to bring together international investors and operators with Turkish investors and operators.